School principals develop leadership skills [1]
Thursday, December 20, 2012 - 17:10. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
HRH Princess Latufuipeka visits the Tonga Secondary School Leadership Program. Nuku'alofa, 20 December 2012.
A Tonga Secondary School Leadership Program that aims at developing leadership and capacity skills of Tonga Secondary School principals will run for five years under an Australian Aid funded project that was launched in April.
Princess Latufuipeka, Tonga's High Commissioner to Australia, visited the leadership office in Nuku'alofa on a fact finding mission today Thursday 20 December.
Mele Taumoepeau, the Program Coordinator, said they had conducted a series of professional, leadership and educational administration courses, with coaching and mentoring of 31 principals throughout Tonga.
She said the aim of the program is to develop the leadership and capacity skills of secondary school principals for both government and church schools, to help improve on the results of students, while documenting all findings throughout the course of the project.
"Most of those who have been appointed as principals have had no formal leadership or educational administration skills, as they were just very good teachers and came to be in the position," she said.
Principals play key roles in the administration of their schools and management of their staff, while shaping educational outcomes of students. Mentorship and support for them had been identified as a vital service for ensuring they are able to realise their full leadership potential for the benefit of their staff and schools.
She said that since thestart of the programme that training had continued in Tongatapu and the outer islands of Vava'u, Ha'apai and 'Eua.
"We have received positive feedbacks from principals after a survey in which everyone vouched for how beneficial and empowering the program has been to their roles," she said.
The Tonga Secondary School Leadership Program operates under the Pacific Leadership Program.
Princess Latufuipeka has also made visits to other organisations and government ministries.