Distributing education leadership for more inclusive and democratic societies in Latin America
A new publication by the Global Education Monitoring Report and the Organization of Ibero-American Sates shows that democracy should not only be taught in schools but also practiced through the way they are managed. The Latin American regional edition of the GEM Report on leadership and education was launched last week in Bogotá at a high-level event under the auspices of the Colombian Ministry of National Education. Entitled Lead for democracy, the report focuses on distributed leadership in schools, which can also be seen as an active form of civic education through which school principals tap into the collective experience of the school community to set and achieve shared goals.
The report draws on several sources. First, case studies from six countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Honduras. Second, national profiles on standards, working conditions, selection processes, and training programs for school leaders in all Latin American countries, compiled for the PEER website as part of the preparation of the 2024/5 GEM Report. Third, on thematic papers which explore the results of a survey of education ministries in the region related to their educational leadership policies and regulations.
Distributed leadership can foster democratic values inside and outside school
Opinion polls have documented a decline in citizen support for democracy in Latin America. The share of adults who agreed that democracy was the best form of government fell by more than 10 percentage points in the mid-2010s and has remained at roughly the same levels since. The report underscores the importance of democratic school management as a cornerstone for building civic values in schools and beyond, and for forging a young generation with critical thinking skills.
Yet, the concept of distributed leadership lacks universal recognition in Latin American education. Only three countries explicitly refer to distributed leadership in their laws, regulations or policies. Participatory leadership is explicitly mentioned in eight countries. Democratic school management is a constitutional principle in Brazil. Encouraging practices have emerged. The Turma Program in the Brazilian state of Ceará has fostered a stronger relationship between schools and families. School networks in Chile are meeting places for principals. Chile is also one of a handful of countries that promote distributed leadership in their training programmes for principals; in general, training remains theoretical and is mainly provided by non-state actors.
Distributed leadership is easier when power is delegated to – and within – schools
When school environments facilitate the exercise of distributed leadership, more school community members can make more decisions. This requires changes in governance at two levels. First, power should be delegated from the centre to schools. Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and the Dominican Republic assign the lowest degree of autonomy to schools. Second, within the school, power should be delegated by the principal to other school actors. In Argentina, Costa Rica, and Peru, principals or the management team participate in the professional development of teaching staff, while in Guatemala and Uruguay they decide jointly with teachers.
Distributed leadership is not just a matter of actions but also of interactions. Educational leaders cannot work alone, and since no single person possesses all the necessary skills, it is important for school principals to work with their teams, assigning them roles and responsibilities, but also empowering them by distributing formal and informal leadership roles and decision-making power. Under certain conditions, this approach can foster inclusion and innovation.
Distributed leadership manifests itself through the participation of students, parents, and communities. Student participation in school management bodies is mandatory in 70% of countries, while 83% of countries have policies or regulations on parent participation. School communities participate in setting school improvement goals in Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras and Peru. Almost all countries have organized school community participation structures, although membership varies between countries. For example, Honduras and Mexico include union representatives, while Argentina and Colombia include alumni representatives.
The report makes seven recommendations:
- Recognize and promote distributed leadership in educational policies.
- Clearly define roles throughout the education system.
- Give principals more autonomy in school decisions, especially financial and human resource decisions.
- Invest in research on successful distributed leadership practices.
- Ensure that leadership standards explicitly mention participation and collaboration.
- Train leaders in collaborative leadership skills.
- Raise awareness among the school community and foster collaboration.
The regional edition’s launch at a high-level event in Bogotá on April 23 was organized in partnership with Colombia’s Ministry of National Education. The launch was attended by ministers and deputy ministers of education from seven countries, as well as education experts. On April 24, a second event was organized at La ale University, which consisted of dialogues led by the GEM Report, the OEI, the Center for Leadership and Teaching Excellence of La Salle University, Global School Leaders, the Varkey Foundation, the Teacher Task Force, and UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational Planning.
- Watch the high-level launch event (April 23) (in Spanish)
- Watch the event at La Salle University (April 24) (in Spanish)