Page 102 - Educational Leadership in a Changing World

Martina Kovačič and Anita Trnavčević

However, the messages conveyed through the aforementioned tv
show Tarča and daily newspaper Delo are quite similar. They are focused
on ‘protection’ of schools. The president of the Slovenian Principals’
Association explicitly stated that schools should be regarded as ‘sacred
places’ which ‘only authorised professionals can enter’ (Kuralt, 2023).
These assertions regarding a ‘protective’ stance raise numerous ques-
tions and issues about the role of principals and the nature of princi-
palship. We will focus on a single perspective, basing our discussion on
the assumption that schools operate within specific contexts and legal
frameworks. Principals are influenced by traditions, values, school cul-
ture, routines, and expectations. The legal framework defines their po-
sition, power, and authority, which in turn shapes their practice. Conse-
quently, we propose a conceptual model that reconstructs the relation-
ship between leadership, management, and principalship, advocating
for a theoretical revival of principalship as a vital discourse.

Legal Context: Principals in Slovenia, Italy and Austria
In this section, we provide a comparative analysis of principals’ roles
and positions in the legal context of three neighbouring countries,
Slovenia, Italy and Austria.

Slovenia
In practice, the role of a school principal in the Slovenian educational
system reaches far beyond administrative responsibilities. As both a
pedagogical leader and an executive manager, the principal plays a key
role in shaping the school climate, fostering collaboration among staff,
and creating conditions conducive to learning. According to Dolgan
(2012), principals in Slovene elementary schools take on a dual role,
functioning as educational leaders and institutional managers. They
must balance the expectations set by the school’s founder, whether mu-
nicipal or state authorities, and the professional needs of their staff.
Their effectiveness is closely linked to their leadership style, which
should reflect their traits, the characteristics of their team, and the
specific conditions within their school environment. A thorough aware-
ness of these elements is essential for developing leadership training
programmes that can strengthen school performance.
While Slovenian legislation outlines the principal’s formal duties, it
does not explicitly define the leadership competencies required, partic-
ularly those commonly referred to as ‘soft skills.’ Yet, as will be explored

102