Revisiting management of high school teachers during Covid-19: Implication for leadership contingency

The period of Covid-19 outbreak led to the interruption of normal school functionality due to unprecedented turmoil in the management of high school subject teachers worldwide. The unexpected increase in the number of teachers who were directly or indirectly affected and infected during the pandemic brought hesitation to school principals on the appropriate crisis management approach. Thus, this study aims to revisit the management of high school subject teachers during Covid-19 at the Ubombo Circuit Management Cluster in South Africa. Using a case study design, a qualitative telephone semi-structured interview was conducted to gather data. This study finds that the chaos brought by the Covid-19 pandemic in the Kwa-Zulu Natal Department of Education was too sudden that nobody was initially trained to face its impact both in teaching and management. As a result, there was no concrete action plan and crisis management strategies the school principals followed in handling high school subject teachers. During the height of the pandemic, most of Ubombo Circuit Management Cluster school principals creatively attempted various management strategies that they believed would cater for their schools. Hence, this study finds it necessary for the Department of Education to develop policies to equip school principals with necessary skills and knowledge to face future contingencies.