In 1997, in view of improving the quality of leadership at the head of Roman Catholic Education Authority (RCEA)’s primary schools, the practice of almost automatic promotion to the posts of deputy head-teacher (DHT) and head-teacher (HT) (with seniority as the main criteria), was replaced by a system to select the best candidates at each promotion exercise. The scheme of service for the post of HT (which describes the post as obtainable “by promotion on the basis of experience and merit”) was not changed, simply given new life!

The decision to reform was taken by the then director of the BEC, together with his main colleagues. We took this decision after extensive consultations to arrive at a set of equitable and forward-looking criteria as basis for the selection. Criteria used elsewhere in this country (e.g. those which the Public Service Commission (PSC) utilises for promotion to other posts of responsibility within the Education sector) or outside Mauritius (at the United Nations), were also consulted. The concerned teachers’ union was fully consulted at each stage of the process; they first expressed reserve and at the end objected, to the extent of declaring a formal industrial dispute (litige) at the ministry of Industrial relations.

The BEC decision was taken in the firm belief (as research has often demonstrated) that the quality of leadership of one single individual (i.e. the Head of School) is determinant in the success or failure of an entire school community (made up, in the case of larger schools, of hundreds of teachers and support staff, of thousands of students and parents). Does not the same hold true elsewhere, in the case of a Head of government or ministry for example? It was, to say the least, irresponsible to promote to the grade of head someone by virtue of the fact that he or she had been employed for 30 years (who could have accumulated 30 years educational experience or, if sluggish and unmotivated, 30x1 years experience!). This is well illustrated by a lady DHT of 59 who, six months before her pre-retirement leave, exclaimed on being promoted HT on seniority grounds: “At last my reward!”

When, in 1997, a new promotion exercise was advertised on the basis of these new selection criteria as per official scheme of service, the Union’s objection led to a Supreme Court case, after the previous levels of conciliation and arbitration had failed. In short, the five criteria developed by the BEC as basis for the selection of Heads of Primary Schools were all considered fair and explicit by the Supreme Court. This judgement of Judge B. Sik-Yuen, dated 11 November 1998, has been instrumental in allowing the BEC/RCEA in the years ahead to promote the best individuals to positions of responsibility in its 51 RCA Primary Schools. These new appointees to the grade of HT were in many cases aged 40-55, hence open to training and able to take over and transform many a school. Without any shadow of a doubt, this new influx of younger more able and dynamic pedagogues had a huge influence on the quality of education in these Catholic primary schools, which they headed, supported by an equally able team of conseillers pédagogiques also promoted by selection. Together these criteria constitute a set of tested tools valid for use in such promotion exercises. Used ever since by the BEC (as any binding court award should be), these could also have been used by the PSC which is responsible for the promotion of teachers to the grades of DHT and HT in the 230 or so government primary schools, since the scheme of service and salary scales (as determined by the PRB) for both DHT and HT is exactly the same whether employed by government or by RCEA or by the Hindu Educational Authority.

CONCLUSION. In the present search for improving the quality of education, selection of heads for both private and governmental schools, by such exacting means, seems to be a must. Although widely covered by the press at the time, we recall here these criteria for promotion as they appear in the Sik-Yuen judgement (in which light they were similarly maintained by the then President of the Permanent Arbitration Tribunal).

Criteria to be used for selection of head-teachers:

(a) Length of service (i.e. seniority as Teacher/Senior Teacher and DHT,

(b) Performance during period of service,

(c) Participation in in-service courses (i.e. the extent to which the officer upgraded and updated himself),

(d) Additional qualifications acquired,

(e) Aptitude for leadership.

A detailed marking system was drawn up as from these criteria, the major one(leadership) being assessed mainly through interview.

<B>Dr. Michael ATCHIA</B> <I>[email protected]</I>