Professional development of newly-appointed principals at public high schools in Gauteng. Is social justice served?

Gauteng, the smallest province with the highest per capita income in South Africa, should not have any dysfunctional schools. As a province, Gauteng spends a large portion of their annual budget on education, thus the professional development of principals should be the central focus point of their education system. Principals should be equipped or have the necessary knowledge, skills and values with which to manage and lead an effective and efficient school. The aim of this paper is to determine what knowledge and skills newly-appointed high principals need to fulfil this function and if they have been a part of any induction programme designed to guide and equip successfully principals to manage their schools. The success of a high school principal is measured against a schools final Grade 12 results.