Barriers to Black Female Teachers Aspiring to Principals' Posts in High Schools in the Uitenhage District of the Eastern Cape

Abstract

Female education managers are still in the minority, despite the many changes in education in recent years. It is against this background that the researcher found it imperative to investigate the factors that have a bearing on the under- representation of Black females in principals' posts in high schools in the Uitenhage district of the Eastern Cape Province. On the basis of the perceptions held by educators, findings of research studies, the researcher's practical experiences and the little South African literature that exist, the research question crystallizes as follows: Why are women under- represented in principals' posts? The purpose of this investigation was to gain an insight into the barriers that lead to the under -representation of females in principals' posts in high schools. The review of literature provided a focus as the framework on which this study is based. Ethnographic interviews that were recorded were conducted with six key informants. The Lickert scale of checking teacher attitudes towards commonly held perceptions was used to supplement the interviews.