Management of an Educational Institution – The Principal’s Perspective

Abstract

The theoretical starting point of this paper are the competences and key tasks of the directors of institutions for early and preschool education. The development of many different professional competences is necessary when dealing with the complicated tasks of a principal. This paper presents the results of research conducted on a sample of principals from institutions for early and preschool education, municipal and privately funded, from the Šibenik-Knin and Zadar counties, relating to the assessment of competences and prescribed key tasks in the management of the institutions. Respondents assessed all competences as extremely important for the quality implementation of the process of leading and managing an institution for early and preschool education. The results showed that the respondents assessed most of the key tasks aimed at the organisation of educational work, as well as tasks and activities aimed at employees, parents and the community, as significant in the performance of their work. Therefore, it is necessary to continue to insist on new forms of education for principals of early and preschool educational institutions, where with the help of various examples, indicators and concrete situations from practice, principals will gain the necessary dose of new knowledge and competences for better management.