EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE IN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN NIGERIA

A PAPER PRESENTED DURING THE 4^TH NATIONAL CATHOLIC EDUCATION SUMMIT.

By REV. FR. DR THEOPHILUS ITAMAN

Abstract

Catholic education is known for quality and excellence in its standards. However, findings have shown that there has been a decline in the quality and performance of some Catholic schools in external examinations, competitions, and morals in the past few years. Consequently, this paper seeks to examine and propose possible ways of ensuring quality education through effective leadership and other quality assurance mechanisms. From the literature analysis and research findings, the paper highlighted problems and potential ways or techniques of achieving the high educational standard synonymous with Catholic schools. These techniques include leadership training, management of teaching and learning, proper supervision, equity in learning, finance management, participation in decision-making, enforcing discipline, motivation, and emotional intelligence in leadership. The paper concludes by proposing recommendations and ways forward to achieve and sustain educational goals and excellence in Catholic schools.

Introduction

In the vademecum, while endorsing the Global Compact on Education, Pope Francis stressed the need for quality, inclusive, and child-centred education as a way of caring for the young and our common home (Laudato Si, 18). The school must be seen as what Pope Francis called “Educational Village.” The Pope requested that we re-examine the aims and methods of carrying out our educational mission – put differently, to re-examine our approach to the teaching and learning process in the Catholic schools in Nigeria. There are seven commitments to achieving the Global Compact on Education; The first commitment is to make human persons the centre of every educational programme. It stresses an integral formation that values all human dimensions (Holistic formation) and student participation in learning and decision-making (Vademecum for Global Compact on Education, p. 10).

These values of the commitment to achieving the Global Compact on Education underscore the core values of Catholic education in the world. If the Catholic church must give education, it must be of quality, high standard, accessible, holistic, and inclusive education. Education is the key to a better tomorrow for every child. Children have the right to this all-important and vital key called education. Education is a basic human right. According to UNICEF, every child has the right to learn and have a quality education (UN, 1948).

Over the century, Catholic schools have been known to provide quality education to children all over the world. People send their children to Catholic Schools because of the all-round formation, which includes academic, moral, and spiritual formation. However, findings have shown that there has been a decline in the quality and performance of some Catholic schools in external examinations, competitions, and morals in the past few years (Omolade, 2009; Ndikani, 2022). Consequently, it behoves us as Catholic Educators to raise and sustain quality standards in our schools by maintaining quality assurance through effective leadership.  Therefore, this paper strives to examine and propose possible ways of ensuring quality education through effective leadership and other quality assurance mechanisms to achieve the high educational standard synonymous with Catholic schools.

Quality assurance

For a school to rise to a standard worthy enough for her to compete favourably in the league of successful schools, such a school must ensure high quality in its formation process and sustain the standard. Quality assurance (QA) is an evaluation and review of educational services to guarantee their quality, fairness, and efficiency. QA is a whole school effort and that of the assurer in ensuring that educational standards are not just met, but consistently improved (Oyetola et al., 2012). The assurers are to offer schools guidance and support to achieve continuous enhancements in education access and quality. These practices involve assessing school effectiveness in teaching, learning, administration, facilities, and learner outcomes. In this light, Harvey and Green (2013) opined that ensuring quality requires assessing the efficiency of the teachers, the adequacy of the instructional materials and facilities needed for teaching and learning, and the school products, that is, the students’ outcome and quality.

In the school system, some determinants of high-quality education include goals of education, quality of the output as well as a well-organized school system (administration) that ensures the articulation and effective coordination of all aspects of school life (Ochuba 2009). Quality assurance entails self-assessment of performance that leads to continuous improvement in the school (Oyetola et al., 2012). In ensuring quality assurance, the assurers must focus on achievement and standard, learners’ welfare and participation, personal development, quality of teaching and learning, quality of curriculum and learning environment, leadership and management, the overall effectiveness of the school, what the school does well, and what school should do to improve on the standard (Oyetola et al., 2012). (From time to time, you must evaluate the staff and let staff evaluate you to ensure improvement).

Researchers asserted that good quality assurance in educational institutions involves:

1. Defining specifically the purpose and nature of education provision, by identifying the gap between quality and how it may be measured.
2. Giving school heads and teachers the responsibility and authority to ensure quality.
3. Creating and controlling a good accountability system for daily work in school administration for the attainment of high standards (Birzea et al, 2005).

In essence, quality assurance involves the implementation of systematic measures by schools, educational providers, and external validation agencies to monitor and assess educational inputs, processes, and outputs. Its main objectives are to maintain approved standards, ensure learners’ appropriate education development, provide transparency and accountability to the public, safeguard the credibility of the education system, and promote continuous improvement through policy review and renewal. Quality learning requires a safe, friendly environment, qualified and motivated teachers, and instruction in languages students can understand. It also requires that education outcomes are monitored and feedback on instruction be given. In building excellence in education, the school’s effectiveness is based on its ability to produce quality output (students) that can contribute positively to the development of society. Therefore, the school leader must identify and solve problems that may militate quality delivery of education in our schools (Ijaiya, 2009).

It suggests that achieving our laudable educational goals hinges on quality assurance techniques which encapsulate the effective coordination and control of teaching and learning activities by the school heads. The school leadership is responsible for delivering the school curriculum to promote quality education. The quality of education and sustaining high standards would depend on the knack or abilities of the principal and the team to effectively plan, implement, monitor, evaluate and review educational programmes and activities. In ensuring quality assurance, the school principal must set high standards and expectations for the teachers and the school. Since some people tend to be lazy and not want to work, school leaders must demand accountability in the teaching and learning process which must include record keeping, assessment of learners, class management, promoting discipline, and the effective development and delivery of cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains of learners (Anad, 2004; Osakwe, 2016; Ehusani, 2002). This process will promote the holistic formation of the students. Again, for a school to achieve high-quality instruction and student performance, the principal needs to have efficient control mechanisms. Leaders must ensure that both the teachers and students are accountable and comply with the laid down rules to promote effective performance. It suggests that effective leadership is crucial in promoting quality and standards within schools.

LEADERSHIP

A leader is a person who engages others in the process of influencing followers to achieve a goal (Stanford-Blair, n.d). A critical review of the literature indicates some essential components of school leadership that could lead to a detailed understanding of the concept of leadership in school management. Literature suggests that leadership is conceived as a means of exercising influence, as an instrument of goal achievement, a form of persuasion, a process of initiating structure, the outcome of the interaction, the influence of power, and a way of behaviour (Leithword, 2012; Northouse, 2013; Odhiambo & Hii, 2012). In this light, Leithwood (2012) describes leadership as “the exercise of influence on organisational members and various stakeholders toward the identification and achievement of the organisation’s vision and goals”(p.3).

More specifically, leadership is knowing the way, showing the way, and going the way. Understandably, leadership is a process that involves influencing others; it happens in a group and involves achieving common goals (Northouse, 2013). These components of leadership give a profound and insightful meaning to the concept of leadership. With this understanding, Northouse (2013) defines leadership as “a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal” (p. 5). In a systematic review of leadership practices that promoted student achievement, Hitt and Tucker (2016) claimed that school leaders are those who mobilize and influence groups (teachers, parents, and students) to achieve school goals (student achievement). It suggests that a leader is an influencer and a change agent in the management process.

Leadership and change process

The primary source of leaders’ failure in an organisation is “faulty thinking rooted in inadequate ideas” (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p. 21). When a change agent has a limited view of the organisation’s make-up and starts blaming faults on the individual, such a leader is bound to have a setback in the change process. It is expected that a change leader should have a holistic framework that will enable such a leader to have different perspectives on issues. A leader must have a rational and structural solution to problems while opening the door for more options. A leader with creativity, the ability to take a risk, and respond to issues confidently will be more likely to positively influence the change process (Bolman & Deal, 2013). It suggests that a leader can positively influence a change process with a passionate and unwavering commitment to principles.

A school leader needs the knack or skills to manage the different categories of workers in the organisation. (4 types of workers: Those who make things happen; those who watch things happen; those who do not know what is happening; and those whose words and actions hinder anything good that is happening). Such a leader must be conscious that the members have differences in “values, beliefs, information, interests, and perceptions of reality” (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p. 188).  The change agent needs the ability and skill to manage human resources, allocate scarce resources like time and money, and manage conflict effectively to ensure success in the change process (Kegan & Lahey, 2009). Also, the change agent should let the goal of the change process evolve from the staff and give all members access to participate in the decision-making process to elicit commitments from them (Bolman & Deal, 2013). Power must be legitimate, and leaders should share power with followers and promote negotiations among interest groups. Shared power and leadership influence the change process in an organisation. The process of initiating change, implementing, monitoring, and sustaining change to form a culture and succeed, takes a long time. There is that gradualism needed to change a school for the better. Consequently, school heads must be given at least six to ten years to recalibrate and ensure effectiveness except if it is clear that the leader is underperforming and ineffective. In providing academic and school success, we need effective school leaders.  

EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP: An effective leader is a dynamic leader, assertive, creative, results-oriented, flexible, yet task-oriented, confident in sharing responsibility, involving staff and students in decision-making, and enabling the initiating and supporting school improvement programmes (Nwagwu et al., 2004).

An effective principal is essential in leading and coordinating the teachers and students in schools to achieve success and effectiveness (Kunzle et al., 2010). In this connection, the Wallace Foundation (2012) claimed that effective leaders determine the effectiveness of schools because they are a key component of the effectiveness of any school, irrespective of the context. In a mixed-method study of school leadership practices in challenging contexts involving four schools and their principals, Masewicz (2010) observed that effective leaders are resilient, vision-builders, accountable, flexible, and have the ability to manage change. In the study, Masewicz conceptualised an effective leader as a servant with shared leadership and a positive instructional climate that impacts student achievement.

The study further observed that an effective leader has a sense of direction, a good relationship with people, control over the teaching and learning process, promotes teamwork, delegates responsibilities, maintains shared decision-making, and enhances staff development.  In their study, Ojera and Yambo found that effective leadership builds a team that is capable of motivating and raising staff morale and enhancing performance over time. Merritt (2016) found that effective leaders involve others in decision-making, create school vision, stress students’ expectations, create school culture, maintain effective communication, and improve student achievement.

In considering the assessment of an effective leader, here are two criteria for judging the effectiveness of a leader: outcome and process (Fidler, 2002):

Outcome– It is what the leader achieves in terms of organisational outcome, which can be seen in the organisation’s performance. This has to do with examination results, attendance, and other published indicators, value added to children’s progress, and achievement of aims. Hence, Harris et al. (1996) assert that “one of the most common ways of measuring a school’s performance is by its examination results” (p.10).

Process – This is the style, ways and manner in which a leader carries out his or her work (Fidler, 2002). Fidler’s assertion implies that there is a need to combine both the outcome and process in judging a leader’s effectiveness.

Leadership Styles

Many leadership styles have developed in the history of leadership such as autocratic, Laissez-faire, democratic, distributed, instructional, transactional, transformational, servant, and situational leadership styles, and others. A leader in any organisation must be abreast with different styles of leadership, and decide which one to use at a given time for effective management, knowing that there is no best leadership style, but that situation dictates what style to use. However, in whatever style, the leader must realise that the appropriate thing to do is to lead by example. Such a leader must be the right guide for the followers and be strategic in leadership.

Strategic leadership is the ability to get people to make their own decisions with the vision of the organisation in mind. The organisational dream is the vision of the organisation. The vision is the ideal condition, what the organisation expects to see when all issues are addressed. Strategic leaders create a vision, express vision, passionately possess vision, and persistently drive it to accomplishment.

QUALITIES OF A STRATEGIC LEADER

The following are the qualities of effective strategic leaders that could lead to effective performance:

• Looking into the future – Being proactive and planning for the future.  (Anyone who refused to plan has already planned to fail).
• Making calculated decisions – considering available options, carrying out consultations, and promptly making informed decisions.
• Seek opportunities to improve – seize the opportunity (Carpe diem), and learn from success and failure stories to improve the future.
• Be up-to-date – Leaders must ensure that they are up to date about the happenings with the organisation.
• They have a wider perspective on issues – they try to learn and have knowledge about other fields.
• Compassion – strategic leaders understand the views and feelings of their subordinates.
• Self-control – they have the ability to control distracting moods and desires. They think before acting.
• Self-awareness – strategic leaders understand their mood and emotions – (Man, know thy self, as Socrates would say).
• Delegation and authorisation – such leaders must be ready to distribute and delegate responsibilities.
• Effective communication – good leaders must be able to communicate their vision to the organisation and relate with others effectively.

As a strategic leader, you must be skilled in:

• Policy development and implementation
• setting objectives for resource utilization
• creating plans to achieve these objectives
• identifying necessary tasks
• organizing teams to carry out tasks
• hiring suitable individuals for specific roles (Please, hire qualified teachers without looking at faces)
• initiating work activities
• providing incentives for productivity
• implementing measures to track progress toward objectives
• taking corrective action if necessary

Techniques for Ensuring Quality Assurance in School

A. Leadership training

Many researchers have indicated that effective leaders are the result of both inherent traits and carefully developed skills (Bergner, 2008). There is an increasing understanding that all leadership skills need training for effectiveness. Those who have natural leadership qualities are shaped through learning processes (Avolio, 2005). There is an implied acknowledgement that doing what comes naturally which is based on innate qualities will not always be suitable, and it means for more effectiveness, one needs training (Williams et al., 2003). Therefore, to be effective, school leaders need professional development and training to improve their skills. Currently, there is a strong emphasis on leadership preparation through formal professional development and training across the world because there is a correlation between leadership training and performance.

Leadership training is a process of educating future school leaders on the basic requirements and skills needed for effective leadership at schools (Arikewuyo, 2009). This training should cover the key areas of competencies of the leader and there are four clusters of competencies that principals should have as articulated by Oduro (2003) and this is stated in Table

Table 1: The four clusters of competencies for principals

	Cluster	Competence Indicator
1	Administrative Capacity	Ability to keep school records, e.g. maintaining school finance records, keeping admission records, the log book, and filing documents.
2	Professional capacity	Ability to manage pupil assessment, knowledge of teacher appraisal techniques, skills for teaching adults, the ability to vet teachers’ lesson notes, knowledge about leadership, skills for managing people, acquisition of higher academic knowledge, and the ability to counsel.
3	Personal capacity	Fairness and firmness, tolerance, patience, and commitment to work.
4	Interpersonal capacity	Ability to relate well with staff, pupils, parents, and the school management. Ability to promote teamwork, ability to conduct successful staff meetings and possession of lobbying skills.

These clusters of competencies seek to reshape a leader into a professional and effective leader. Unfortunately, many countries like Nigeria have no institution designed for school leadership training for future leaders, and this has affected the performance of many school leaders (Arikewuyo, 2009). Inadequate preparation and improper training have hindered good performance by school leaders (Su et al., 2003). The inefficiencies of the principals have been linked to a lack of professional training in school leadership (Obemeata, 1984). Like Nigeria, the training of principals across Canada and many other countries tends to be an “informal, ad hoc, essentially uncoordinated approach” (Hansford & Ehrich, 2005). However, there are some countries where the training of principals is formal e.g. United Kingdom, Singapore etc.

B. Management of the teaching and learning process.

Behind every successful school, there is a well-managed teaching and learning process in the school. An effective school leader is a great school manager who focuses on teaching and learning by creating a conducive environment for learning, engaging qualified teachers, providing up-to-date curriculum, and instructional materials,  checking lesson notes, supervising the learning process, and assisting the teachers in enforcing discipline to check disruptive behaviour to achieve effective learning and school goals. This process of ensuring classroom learning runs smoothly despite disruptive behaviour is known as instructional leadership.

Leadership is vital in the effective teaching and learning process in the classroom. In this connection, Hallinger and Lee (2013) gave the indices of the principal’s instructional roles in ensuring effective teaching and learning in the school. They maintained that among the roles of the principal, providing instructional leadership is more touching on students’ learning than other roles.  Instructional leadership is a theory that indicates that the principal plays a pivotal role in positively influencing the quality of teaching and learning at school (Hallinger & Lee, 2013). Instructional leadership is also referred to as “leadership for learning” (Hallinger & Lee, 2013, p. 307).  The principal performs the role of defining the “school’s mission, managing the instructional program, and promoting a positive school learning climate” (Hallinger & Lee, 2013, p. 306). In this process, the principal manages the curriculum and instruction to enhance effective learning for the students (Hallinger & Lee, 2013). The school leaders work with the staff to ensure that the school has a clear mission that facilitates the student’s academic progress. The principal communicates the mission clearly to the staff and students to facilitate teaching and learning purposefully. School heads should ensure that teachers assess and review the student’s performance in any examination to enhance improved performance.

In examining the supervisory role of the principal, Hallinger and Lee (2013) maintained that the principals “supervise and evaluate instruction, coordinate the curriculum, monitor students’ progress” (p.307).  Additionally, to ensure a good school climate, the school leader must ensure good use of instructional time, teacher professional development, and incentives for teachers and students to motivate them for high performance. However, Hallinger and Lee (2013) observed that principals spend less time on the management of curriculum than other functions of leadership. For effectiveness, school leaders should give more time to the classroom and curriculum management to enhance students’ learning.

C. Supervision of the learning process and the school environment

All successful projects in the world have been well supervised. Without effective supervision, an organization is bound to fail. Therefore, school leaders need to be effective supervisors. Supervision means instructing, guiding, monitoring, and observing the sub-supervisors, employees, and students while they are performing their jobs in the school. The word supervision is a combination of two words, i.e., super, meaning over and above and vision, meaning seeing. So, supervision means ‘overseeing the activities of employees and followers from over and above.’ It is a movement with a purpose (Itaman, 2017). 

In the context of education, supervision refers to the task normally assigned to an official responsible for ensuring that teachers do their work effectively in accordance with sets of educational standards (Universal Basic Education Programme, 2002; Olagboye, 2004). Supervision involves a system of mobilizing staff through the provision of guidance, advice, encouragement, and motivation in discharging their duties (Whawo, 1995; Institute of Education, University of Ibadan, 1981). The supervisor in a school setting can be the principal, vice principal, department or subject head/coordinator. In the United States and many British Commonwealth countries, the principal or headteacher is recognised as an instructional supervisor (Harris, 1987).

How to Supervise

• Be present – establish a presence – your body language must speak seriousness.
• Good supervisors supervise with a purpose – what they set out for and what they want to see.
• Know the employees under your supervision
• Observation
• Interactions
• Examination or inspection of documents
• Recording and documentation
• Evaluation in the process of supervision. (formative assessment and summative assessment)
• Report – write and brief the Directors on the situation of things.

All these efforts are geared toward ensuring quality and high academic standards in our schools.

D. Build a school culture.

Culture is simply defined as ‘the way we do things around here’ (MacGilrist et al., 1995, p. 36). Culture is seen as the institution’s routines, values, norms, procedures, and expectations (Brundrett, 1999). Culture defines reality for those within a social organisation; it gives them support, identity, norms, and a framework for occupational learning (Hargreaves, 1994). An organisation’s culture is expressed through how those who belong to the organisation feel, think, and act. School culture is shaped by its history, context, and the people in it. It is influenced by the school’s external context, the students in the school, and their socio-economic background (Stoll, 2003). Bolman and Deal (1991) see culture as both a product and a process:

As a product, it embodies the accumulated wisdom of those who were members before we came. As a process, it is continually renewed and re-created as new members are taught the old ways and eventually become teachers themselves (p. 250).

Culture varies from school to school. We must develop our culture, influenced by Catholic teachings and African traditions. It requires that we teach the children how to greet elders and relate with others in the community. If you enter Lumen Christi, you will see our honour code – The Ten Commandments for living in a community. The school management makes the students recite it every day and live by it. It has shaped their behaviour and character.

E. Equity in the learning process

Equity in education means recognizing each student’s different assets, resources, and other circumstances of their home and academic life and designing protocols to achieve comparable results to those of their peers. It means giving the same resources and opportunity to all to reach equal outcomes. Equity is vital to educational processes because every student has unique needs that must be met for them to realize their full potential. For example, some students enter the school system with a leg up in reading, while others are still learning to speak, read, and write English as a second language. Efforts must be made to focus on slow learners and bridge the gap among students. Not all barriers to equity occur inside the classroom. Many students face challenges at home that directly affect their performance at school. Poverty, neglect, abuse, lack of basic amenities, bullying, and hunger are all very real experiences that follow students from home into their classrooms. So, it is the responsibility of the school leader and the team to bridge the gap professionally and provide a safe environment for learning for all to achieve school effectiveness.

F. Financial Management: Be a financial manager

Even though Catholic schools are non-profit organisations, we cannot run the schools with Hail Mary. It is audacious, that we have the problem of finance in our schools. Though there are challenges, an entrepreneurial leader must design a compass to navigate the way to success. Do you know that you can manage a school without school fees? You need to look inward and generate income for the school. Entrepreneurial leaders are not discouraged by organisational challenges, such as limited financial and material resources. Rather, they devise various means of providing ways to solve organisational problems. Research and literature have shown how entrepreneurialism works in schools. Clark (1998) suggested that entrepreneurial leader transforms schools through a varied funding base and an integrated entrepreneurial culture.

Findings indicated that about eighty per cent (80%) of the principals in Catholic private schools in Edo state maintained that it was obvious that school fees is not enough for school financing. There is a dire need to source additional resources through entrepreneurial activities. Literature has suggested elements that could provide a framework for initiating change through entrepreneurial attitudes, skills, and behaviours thus:

1. Envision what is possible within the school. Look inward than thinking of a loan.
2. See all the students and stakeholders as your customers.
3. Carry out need assessment – Adopting entrepreneurialism requires the school leader to carry out a need assessment in the school and provide rapid responsiveness “to the changing needs and emerging challenges of the school and its environment.” Find out what the school community needs – students, parents, and even teachers.
4. Hem-in-the-school income – groom and revolve your money within the school. Do not create business for others. Customize all school items.
5. Block all leakages – strive for cashless transactions. Take care of the smallest one naira and it will grow into millions.
6. Go into investments for the school.
7. Have a passion for what you do.

Investment: There are different ways in which Catholic schools generate funds. Some of these ways are farming as a school project, the sales of raffle tickets, and inter-house sports competitions, among others. Furthermore, schools can set up businesses that can generate income. In the survey, through the open questions in the questionnaire, the research found that Catholic schools have the following income-generating activities bookshops, lettings, canteen services, business center for photocopying, Internet, and computer services, CBT, agriculture (Poultry and Piggery), supermarket, shares, summer classes, excursions, water factory, accommodations, laundry services, properties, tailoring shops, Bank investment (TB) to mention a few. These activities have increased the income of these schools and contributed to school development.

G. Religious Instruction

s body like a Catholic school, the students have no right to object to any religious activities in the school, especially if they know what is practised in the school and that they are at liberty to attend another school. This is supported by Section 38 of the 1999 Constitution: No religious community or denomination shall be prevented from providing religious instruction for pupils of that community or denomination in any place of education maintained wholly by that community or denomination.

Private schools not funded and managed by a religious group must respect the students’ religious views. In schools managed by the religious, if the school made it known to students at the point of entry that religious activity is obligatory, and they decide to stay, such students are obliged to obey and participate. So, the Catholic faith must be taught to inculcate the fear of God in the children.

H. Motivation and leadership

A look at our schools, you will discover that among the workers, some perform and do work better than others. The question that readily comes to mind is, “What are the causes of these differences in performance?” This has been a primordial question. To many minds, it is the consequence of varying abilities and skills among workers. People with this mindset will want to select workers based on skills and abilities and emphasise staff training. Many researchers maintain that the differences reflect their different levels of motivation. Both positions are valid. Vroom and Edward (1970) assert that the performance of a person on a job is considered a function of two variables: the ability or skill of the individual to perform the job and his/her motivation to use the ability or skill in the actual performance of the job. The implication is that leaders need to motivate workers with high ability or skill to bring out the best in them.

Motivation is defined as the inner human force that drives individuals to accomplish personal and organisational goals (Itaman, 2023). School leaders employed many strategies to motivate teachers. However, it is good to bear in mind that each motivational strategy has the potential to de-motivate if used wrongly. So, in attempting to devise motivational strategies, staff needs, expectations, and the situation must be considered. Motivated teachers are needed for school improvement. They are more productive than unmotivated staff, and they help the school survive.

To be effective, school leaders need to understand what motivates teachers within the context of their roles. This is a difficult task in that what motivates a teacher changes constantly. For example, research suggests that money becomes less motivator as employees’ income increases. Also, as employees get older, interesting work becomes more of a motivator (Lindner,1998, p.2). Everard, Morris and Wilson (2004) stress the need to use ‘motivators’ i.e. people’s need for achievement, recognition, responsibility, and job interest, among others, to motivate the staff. We should suit our management behaviour to both the personalities and the needs of the situation. One size does not fit all when it comes to motivation. Every school should have motivational strategies for teachers and students. Finally, the basic principle underpinning motivation is that if the staff are managed and motivated effectively, they will seek to give their best voluntarily without the need for control through the rules and sanctions. In fact, they will eventually be self-managing.

I. Participation in the decision-making

School leaders could hone their school effectiveness by involving both staff and students in shared decision-making. Such involvement could give them a sense of belonging and make the school and classroom a good place to be and learn. The chief means of creating this kind of involvement is the class meeting, a face-to-face circle meeting emphasising interactive discussion. Most importantly, class meetings help students go beyond “saying the right words” to doing the right thing. As school leaders, you must take time to have conferences with the students, seek their opinions, interact, and dialogue with them to make decisions. You will discover that because they are involved, they obey easily. They learn to act on their words.

J. Moral discipline

Discipline is the key to success. To succeed in life, we need some level of discipline.  Research indicates that 92% of intelligent and successful students have self-discipline. As an educator, you must key into this finding and inculcate discipline in the students. Discipline, if it is to serve character development, we must help students develop moral reasoning, self-discipline, and respect for others. Rules should be established, in a way, which enables students to see the moral values, such as courtesy and caring, behind the rules. The emphasis should not be on extrinsic rewards and punishment but on the intrinsic reward, on following the rules because it’s the right thing to do.

The school leader must enforce discipline in the school to ensure overall success and achievement of goals. Educators can instil discipline professionally without using corporal punishment in our schools. Ethically, we can control and discipline the children under our care with education laws without being liable. Education law encapsulates the rules and regulations enacted by the government and enforced by the judiciary to guide and manage educational practices. These laws include Ordinances, Codes, Arts, and Decrees. Schools are established by law to achieve educational goals. A school is a “corporate entity,” meaning it can sue and be sued (Ogunu, 2015).

In a bid to reduce or eliminate corporal punishment in schools, school leaders should consider exclusion, suspension, and expulsion.

1. An exclusion means that a student who breaks school rules is made to have limited contact with other students in the school. Such a student will be allowed to enter the school and write exams, if any but barred from receiving lessons or participating in school activitiesAn exclusion means that a student who breaks school rules is made to have limited contact with other students in the school. Such a student will be allowed to enter the school and write exams, if any but barred from receiving lessons or participating in school activities
2. Suspension and expulsion– misconduct that would merit suspension and expulsion must be grave. Each school should have a list of crimes that merit suspension and expulsion. There should be evidence of former warnings to the student concerned; therefore, the school should keep a record of warnings and undertakings. It is required in Nigeria for school heads to keep a punishment book containing the data, the name of the student, the nature of the offence and punishment, and the name of the school head that administered the punishment.
3. Before suspension and expulsion, a student must be given a fair hearing and a written statement obtained from him/her. US Supreme Court, in the case of Goss v Lopez, maintained that students should not be suspended until he/she has been given a fair hearing. Also, due process must be followed before suspension and expulsion are given to students. Only the school head has the right to suspend or expel a student. Such a decision should not be taken hastily or in anger. Proverbs 15:22 says, “There is an accomplishment in a multitude of counsellors.” Therefore, consult and use your disciplinary committee. Avoid indefinite suspension because it may rob a student of the right to education. Finally, if a child has enrolled for an external examination, no person must stop him/her from taking it on the grounds of expulsion. Note that there is no relationship between the misconduct and the examination that he or she has been enrolled.

K. Emotional Intelligence and Leadership

Emotional Intelligence is the ability to understand, manage, and effectively express one’s own emotions, as well as to engage and navigate successfully with those of others. Emotional intelligence is important in leadership because leaders with high levels of emotional intelligence are generally more effective in managing and motivating their teams, resolving conflicts, communicating effectively, and making sound and well-informed decisions. They are also better at managing stress and adapting to change. Emotional Intelligence is a crucial skill set that can make or break a leader.

Decision Making: Emotional Intelligence helps in making balanced and fair decisions by reducing biases and considering the emotional climate of the team or organization.

Team Management: High El enables leaders to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each team member, leading to more effective team management.

Conflict Resolution: Emotional Intelligence equips leaders with the skills to resolve conflicts in a way that respects all parties involved.

Communication: Effective communication is often the result of high emotional intelligence, as leaders can better understand and respond to verbal and non-verbal cues.

By understanding and improving your Emotional Intelligence, you can significantly enhance these leadership competencies, making you a more effective and successful leader.

CONCLUSION

The above discussion has suggested that effective leadership is crucial in ensuring quality and high educational standards in Catholic schools. The different aspects of leadership examined so far could encourage the school leaders to establish a clear vision and mission with Catholic values. Such alignment will promote and inform the proper development of strategic plans that incorporate academic excellence and holistic formation of the students. In ensuring academic and school success, school leaders must ensure sound financial planning and resource allocation. Also, such leaders must seek funding opportunities and manage budgets effectively.

Education must be seen as a process ‘of continual reorganizing, reconstructing, and transforming’ (Dewey, 1916). Children must be in the centre of learning and have a say in the process of reconstruction as Pope Francis says in Laudato Si. Children’s views on education matters. The children should be active learners and not passive recipients of knowledge. It requires the effort and professional skill of effective leadership to ensure quality, equity, and high academic standards in our Catholic schools. No school can be better than its leader. It is like a leader, like a school. Therefore, we call on educators, school leaders, and stakeholders in Catholic schools in Nigeria to focus on empowering school leaders to ensure effectiveness in our schools.

The way forward:

• School heads must be trained in leadership skills not just education and the person must have passion for it and aspire for leadership.
• Bishops and Major Superiors must allow the school heads to manage the school for at least 6 to 10 years.
• Our schools should establish and maintain a safe environment for effective learning for the children.
• School leaders must manage and supervise the teaching and learning process.
• Develop policies that ensure accountability, fairness, and inclusivity.
• Every school leader must undergo training and acquire Emotional Intelligence skills.
• Focus on holistic development, including academic, moral, and spiritual formation.
• Develop financial discipline and entrepreneurial activities to increase income in the school.
• Empower and motivate the teachers and school leaders to ensure effectiveness and maintain standards in our schools.

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