Leadership and competition in the age of public and private school markets

Abstract

PurposeThe article deals with competition between primary schools in Berlin. The focus is on the perception of competition and the process of student selection – despite school law restrictions for primary state schools. The aim is to find out whether and in what way primary school leaders perceive a competitive situation and how they act in view of second-order competition.Design/methodology/approachBerlin primary school leaders' statements were analyzed, which were collected and evaluated using quantitative and qualitative methods.FindingsResults show that schools with a good reputation are more likely to benefit from competition because a good reputation may increase the demand for spots at that school and may enable the school to select “desirable” students. State school leaders are more limited in their actions, while private school principals are more autonomous and are better able to make a match between a school's orientation and families' ideas.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited by its small sample size, yet it provides a basis for further research and gives much needed attention to selection processes at primary schools in Germany.Originality/valueThis is one of a few studies looking at the perspectives of primary school leaders regarding the competitive situation and in particular the selection of students.

Modelling and Simulation of Competition for Students’ Population with Holling Type II Response

“…Te frst two categories of schools face challenges like peer infuence among students and parents causing transfer from one category to the other, population predation between categories, and competition for students [3]. Tese factors create population dynamics in the respective schools.…”

“…Due to prevailing situations in the country, where the country's activities are geared towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which in addition is aimed at the realization of the vision 2030, the countries activities are thus focused on a better education system. Tis initiated the transfer of students to diferent categories of schools to acquire better education for self-reliance [3,8]. Generally, the education sector shapes the nation through good leadership which can result to better development.…”

“…For this matter, it is a secondary requirement to many people throughout the world. From the literature review, a range of social statistical techniques have been used to explain school population dynamics [2,3,5,[7][8][9]. But till now, very little research has been carried out on the interaction of public schools, private schools, and the nonenrolled entity population.…”