Promoting sustainable development is top on the agenda of many national governments. The provision of quality primary education is key in pursuing this agenda and relies heavily of committed teachers. This article explores the potential contribution of transformational leadership practices of primary school principals in promoting teacher commitment. It is argued that primary school principals who exhibit the transformational leadership feature of commitment motivate teachers towards commitment and thus contribute towards sustainable development. This study was quantitative in nature and out of the hundred and fifty teachers sampled, only ninety-five responded to the questionnaires. Drawing from the theory of transformational leadership and the findings from the Limpopo Province education district case study, it can be concluded that primary school principals promote the culture of commitment and therefore a foundation for sustainable development is laid.

School leadership research has provided extensive empirical evidence which shows that women as school leaders face challenges on many fronts. The objective of this study was to provide insight regarding the challenges that female primary school principals face, in the Waterberg Education District, Limpopo Province, South Africa. These challenges were in respect of the perception of staff members towards women as school principals. This study was qualitative and interpretive in nature. The theory of social justice was used as a theoretical framework. Social justice theorists argue that social institutions have the responsibility to dispense justice, fairness, and equity. The researcher used semi-structured in-depth interviews to gain rich descriptive data on the experiences relating to the leadership roles of the principals. Findings indicate that female principals face challenges, such as insubordination by male staff members, frustrations of not progressing beyond the position of principalship and sexual harassment. This study is of great value as it extends the body of knowledge on the challenges that primary school women principals face in their leadership practices. Key words: social justice, women principals, sexual harassment, primary schools, insubordination, self-esteem, self-image

Purpose The present study contributes to the growing body of research on abusive supervision in school settings, particularly by principals. School leadership (principal) behavior has been a topical issue for decades in educational research. This paper attempts to add to scholarly knowledge in the area of school leadership and specifically the effect of abusive school leadership on organizational productivity and organization citizen behavior. Put succinctly, the purpose of this paper is to examine the implications of abusive school leadership on school performance and teacher behavior. Abusive leadership is attributable to behavior that is deviant, antisocial and counter-productive and that which is uncivil. Design/methodology/approach In examining abusive school leadership behavior and its effect on school performance and teacher behavior, this conceptual paper draws heavily from an in-depth analysis of extant scholarship and uses Rawls theory of social justice as a conceptual tool. Social justice theorists believe that social institutions are embedded with immense responsibility of dispensing justice, fairness and equity. Findings Building from these relevant literatures and grounding the argument from the Rawlsian perspective of social justice, it can be argued that abusive school leadership perpetuates unfair and unjust practices toward teachers, which negatively affects performance. Literature reviewed convincingly indicates that abusive tendencies are practiced in school by school leadership. Further, these abusive practices negatively impact on the following: teacher productivity, teacher turnover and, finally, staff members’ well-being and health. The findings confirm that these practices perpetuate social injustice. Schools are social institutions and have to ensure that justice is served on all members of the organization, and, for this reason, Rawls (1971) argues that justice is the first virtue of social institutions. Practical implications The findings of this study have a number of important implications for future practice. It is critical in this study to suggest that in trying to deal with scourge, tougher measures need to be taken by various education departments to ensure that the problem is dealt with effectively. One of the interventions that is suggested is tougher policy positions on matters related to abusive leadership. In education departments that have legislation regarding consequences regarding abusive school leadership practices, tougher action should be taken against leadership which practice abuse. Originality/value School leadership is a highly contested research space and this conceptual paper is of great value because it adds to the already existing insights and understanding in abusive leadership in educational settings. This paper is of great significance because it focuses on the effect of abusive school leadership on teachers’ behavior and school performance.

Enhancing sustainability in primary schools is apposite because primary schools are the building blocks in any education system. In its examination, the study provides insights on the role of primary school principals in promoting sustainable education through inspiring teachers. Teacher motivation is a very critical focus research area, particularly in the present depressing times and particularly in promoting sustainability. Without ignoring and dismissing other factors that have a bearing on the poor performance of the South African primary schools, teacher discouragement is one of the factors. The purpose of this investigation was to explore the extent in which the leadership practices of primary school principals promote teacher motivation and ultimately achieving sustainable teacher workforce. This study was based on random sampled primary school teachers in South Africa, Waterberg District. Hundred and fifty survey questionnaires were distributed to participating primary schools and only 96 responses were received. The respondents were from a mix of both male and female teachers who responded to the questionnaire. Descriptive statistics was applied to analyse data. Even though the results indicated that there were issues with teacher motivation, to a significant extent, the majority of respondents demonstrated that most primary principals do take efforts in trying to ensure that teachers are motivated. The results of the study deepen the already existing scope of knowledge regarding teacher motivation, particularly in primary schools.

School leadership plays a fundamental role in promoting educational outcomes. The success of every school rests squarely on the shoulders of its leader, namely the principal. The main objectives of this study were firstly to examine the allegations surrounding the recruitment processes of principals in South African schools, particularly the selling of posts, further, this study also explored the different functions of role players in these processes and finally, the challenges faced in the recruitment and appointment of principals processes. Using the final report the department of Basic Education (DBE) of 2016 on the investigation of the selling of posts, chapter two of the South African Bill of Rights on equality and fairness and drawing from Rawls theory of social justice as a conceptual tool and the researchers' personal experience as a teacher and a participant over a number of years in these recruitment processes, it can be argued that the processes of recruiting school principals in the South African education system are in direct violation of the principles of fair equality of opportunity, procedural justice, and the Bill of Rights and subsequently promote unfair and unjust practices. This conclusion is demonstrated by the findings that indicated that there is evidence suggesting that posts ABOUT THE AUTHOR