Women navigating leadership in rural schools during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The obstacles female school principals encounter while leading in rural schools both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were the focus of this qualitative study since they represent a gender that has historically been excluded in society. Six female school principals from the province of Limpopo were purposefully chosen for the study, which was exploratory in nature. Semi-structured interviews and observations were used to collect the information, and then they were thematically examined to provide results. The results showed that female school principals encountered a variety of difficulties due to preconceptions of gender, absence of respect and support from personnel, and inadequate facilities in the schools. The issues mentioned above have been made worse because of the COVID-19 epidemic. The COVID-19 drastically and unexpectedly altered the leadership positions of female school principals. This unprecedented nature calls for a powerful network of supporters to encourage equity and equality in schools, as well as the empowerment of females leading schools to lead in a crisis. The harms and injustices that beset many rural schools were made public by COVID-19. Female school leaders had to contend with an unchecked pandemic while also negotiating decades of underfunding and neglect. Women in educational leadership need to embrace qualities like empathy, listening, creative cooperation, and genuine engagement with staff members—qualities that are not typically associated with high offices and boardrooms.