According to Ehiametalor (2015), explain the functions which the principal has to perform are numerous and diverse. Some of the functions include the following:
1. Development and implementation of the educational programme:
This function can be further broken down into two categories which are namely;
a. Structuring of the school for purpose of instruction. For effective teaching and learning to take place in a school, a conducive atmosphere which is devoid of confusion must be created. One of the ways by which the principal can do this, is by clearly identifying positions and roles, and acquainting the position occupants with their roles and the relationship that is supposed to exist between role occupants. For example, departments based on subjects can be created with heads of department appointed to oversee the running of the departments.
b. Curriculum Development: The principal should be seen to be playing the role of the team leader in relation to curriculum development. The principal should play this role by way of serving as a guide to the various teachers either directly or in conjunction with the heads of department in terms of helping to identify relevant goals to the community, planning and selecting relevant learning experiences, helping to implement programme improvement and evaluating programme changes.
2. Development of Teaching Staff
a. The principal carries out the function of staff development by identifying and indicating the staff needs of the school. This deals with the qualifications and areas of specialization of existing vacancies and how the collected statistics can serve as a basis for their recruitments or making representations to the appropriate body in charge of employment matters
b. The second way by which the principal carries out development of staff is through orientation of new members of staff to the school system which includes staff, students are the community. The essence of this, is to help to make the breaking in period of the new employee less traumatic
c. The principal directly or indirectly assigns the new staff to his initial position. Subsequently, the new staff may be assigned to other roles where there will be optimal utilization of his experience and talents.
d. The principal can also conduct a programme of staff improvement through classroom observations and other forms of evaluation. The basis for this is to be able to identify areas of strength and weakness on the part of the teacher.
e. Based on observations by the principal, activities such as in-service training can be recommended. Staff could also be encouraged to join professional associations.
f. The principal through the maintenance of good human relations with staff, could motivate them both to learn and put in their best on the job
3. Student Relations Function
a. Since the school cannot exist without students, the first relation the principal has with students is to ensure that the students who are granted admission meet the government guidelines or those set aside by the overseeing body in charge of the school.
b. The principal should endeavor to group the students accordingly for the purposes of instruction. This move would normally help to save time that would be judiciously used for the provision of instructions.
c. The principal should also address the issue of students’ transfer which could either be intra or interstate. The principal should decide whether there is a vacancy in the class to which the transfer’s being sought and what the reasons for the transfer could possibly be.
d. The principal, through the form masters or mistresses as the case may be, should ensure that students who are repeating are adequately catered for.
e. The principal should take note of all the students who are withdrawn from the school for whatever reasons. The students’ records should be subsequently updated to reflect such withdrawals and the reasons for withdrawing.
f. In schools that provide boarding facilities, the principal should monitor the admission into the boarding section as well as the welfare of the boarders.
g. The principals should also ensure that the academic records of all students who have completed their course in the school are safely and properly stored; this is to make for easy retrieval when the need arises
4. Community Relations Function
a. The principal should, based on his training and interaction find out and articulate the perceived educational needs and expectations of the immediate community
b. For the development of good human-relations, the principal should endeavour to participate in communal activities to which he is invited.
c. The principal should maintain a good channel of communication with Parents Teachers Association for purposes of getting new ideas remaining sensitive to the feelings of parents and acquainting parents and guardians with the problems of the school.
5. Financial Function
a. The principal should ensure that financial provisions are made for the running of his school in the annual budget
b. The principal should in conjunction with the bursar ensure that school funds are spent according to the budget in a prudent manner
c. In places were fees are paid, the principal should be briefed by the bursar on the amount of money that is collected and for what purpose. In addition, steps should be taken to ensure that proper records of receipts and expenses are kept. Durosaro (2002) also suggests that school manager should be aware of the school financial control mechanism such as the auditing methods, financial regulations and other government circulars on school expenditure.
Typical principal spent 46-60 hours per week dealing with school-related activities. Principal also spend a significant amount of time supervising students and teachers, attending meetings and dealing with discipline situations. The majority of the principals were satisfied with their work, colleagues, responsibilities and supervisors. They spent little time in the role of instructional leaders for which graduate programmes had prepared them.
The success of all organisations rest on the perceived quality of the leaders. Second, change and upheaval make it essential for the institutions to have anchors and guiding purposes. Leaders fill that need. Third, there are pervasive national concerns about the school. Jacobson, Teachers in secondary schools are very sensitive to their principals’ attitudes. They judge their principals attitudes towards them. They usually discuss their principals’ attitudes as either good or bad. Also teachers refer to their principals as either open or close, meaning that the principals either involve them in decision making or do not. Some principals are also referred to as either friendly or wicked. Other criteria used for determining the principals’ managerial behaviour are methods of communication. Oyedeji (2006);
