“The state of Zimbabwe’s economy and the caliber of leaders within Zimbabwe depend on the quality of the education system and the School Heads who manages the Schools”; this was said by Mr V.A Chikanda during his presentation on “Leadership vs. Management in Schools” to the Northern Central District School Heads on 17 May 2018 at Mandel Training Center, Harare.

A sign of a good leader is not how many followers you have, but how many leaders you create and against this premise, Mr Chikanda elaborated that a nation deserves a leader it prepares for itself; a failure in national leadership is an indicator of a failure in preparing and training future leaders. He also noted that good leaders were a by-product of Schools’ leadership and management by School Heads and administrators. Mr Chikanda also alluded that the success of every school depends on the way it is managed/led and Headmasters/mistresses are undoubtedly the most significant contributors to national development. He however, noted with concern the lack of soft skills Training in Zimbabwe’s education curriculum.

The importance of the education sector as a catalyst to national development and an architect to future generations demands not only the most intelligent but also perfectly groomed educators with good leadership skills. The overall objective of the presentation was to conscientise the Heads on the significance of good leadership and to create a resilient civil servant geared to make a difference through dedication, effective leadership and the ability to positively influence the working environment.