Call for papers: Special Issue of Perspectives in Education Sept 2026: Managing and leading sub-Saharan African schools for sustainable social development

2025-05-21T10:38:12+02:00

Managing and leading sub-Saharan African schools for sustainable social development

Background

Over the past five decades, post-colonial sub-Saharan Africa has made remarkable educational progress through strategic investments and resilience. By 2020, the gross primary enrolment rate surpassed 100% (Hoogeveen & Ross, 2019), and average years of schooling for individuals aged 15 and above grew from 3.89 in 1990 to 5.23 in 2010. The proportion of people with no schooling dropping from 44% to 32% (Ibid). Despite these achievements, attention has shifted from the quantifiable measures of schooling, such as enrolment rates and average years of education, to the qualitative learning outcomes. The nonquantitative aspects are pivotal for sustainable social development. It is not merely about attending school; it is what is learnt that determines a nation's trajectory towards growth or stagnation (Hoogeveen & Ross, 2019). Enrolment alone cannot generate the knowledge capital needed to drive economic progress. Antoninis (2017) highlights that the educational standard in sub-Saharan Africa lags behind global averages, with approximately 90% of youth lacking adequate reading skills and nearly 25% unable to read properly. To prepare young people for today and the future, education must provide strong literacy, numeracy, and science competencies. That way, sub-Saharan African schools would be playing a transformative role in building a resilient and inclusive future.

Sub-Saharan countries have made notable strides in increasing enrolment rates across all levels of education, from primary to post-graduate. Despite these advancements, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region lags behind global and continental averages. Recognising these disparities, the SADC, an inter-governmental organisation based in Gaborone, Botswana, has reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing access to quality education and skills development by initiating agreements like the SADC Protocol on Education and Training (1997). This commitment emphasises equitable access to relevant education, including science and technology, to support industrialisation and sustainable development.

However, while these policies and intentions are commendable, statistical evidence fails to reflect significant, tangible improvements in the quality and outcomes of education in sub-Saharan African countries. This discrepancy underscores the need for more decisive leadership and more effective management, also at the school level.

Driving sustainable social development now, and for future generations, require addressing the challenges schools face with visionary leadership and effective management and building resilient and equitable education systems. This makes the notable absence of fostering school leadership as a developmental goal surprising. Effective leadership and management are indispensable for translating educational policies into actionable outcomes and fostering environments conducive to learning and development (REF). Without the strategic guidance and support of school leadership, these ambitious aims risk failing and undermining efforts toward sustainable social development.

Managing schools to achieve development goals

Pitriani (2024) highlights the crucial role of educational leadership in enhancing school performance and fostering teacher professional development. Effective leadership empowers teachers, raises the overall quality of education, and improves learning outcomes. Similarly, Bush (2007) emphasises that the quality of leadership significantly impacts both schools and learners, reinforcing the growing consensus that strong leaders and managers are essential for delivering high-quality education. While the World Bank rightly asserts that trained and committed teachers are vital, it underscores the necessity for them to be supported by capable principals and a robust leadership team (REF). Despite general agreement that leadership is important, there remains uncertainty about which specific leadership behaviours are most effective in driving sustainable outcomes. For sub-Saharan Africa, cultivating visionary school leadership is imperative to address regional challenges and achieve sustainable social development now and in the future.

Call for papers for the Perspectives in Education Special Issue

Contributions are invited from academics and scholars on school leadership development in sub-Saharan Africa.

Perspectives in Education (PIE) invites contributions to the special edition dedicated to educational development in post-colonial sub-Saharan Africa, emphasising strategies and challenges to manage school education effectively. Through this focused exploration, the edition aims to provide insights into leadership practices, policy implementation, and innovative solutions. The special edition will delve into critical topics within the SADC context, including:

School management and leadership in the 21st Century and how to adapt to evolving demands.
Empowering school leaders and managers through comprehensive training and development.
Exploring leadership opportunities and challenges in developing school contexts.
Transformative leadership models and power dynamics in schools.
Balancing school management and multifaceted responsibilities.
Building capacity through impactful communication and teacher professional development.

This special edition promotes academic collaboration by engaging scholars across sub-Saharan countries including Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. The special edition opens an avenue for experts to contribute their insights to exploring themes in educational development and leadership. PIE seeks to enhance dialogue and innovative solutions addressing regional challenges.

TIMELINE

Abstracts (300-500 words)	31 July 2025
Invitation to authors	01 September 2025
Full manuscript submission	31 January 2026
Feedback on manuscripts	31 March 2026
Submission of reviewed papers	31 May 2026
Publication Date	September 2026

Important information

PIE publishes two special issues annually, in April and September. Based on the timeline we use for these special editions and the work involved in preparing such a special edition, this special edition is scheduled for September 2026.

Guidelines:

Contributions must be written in K. / South African English, as the journal caters to an international audience.
Abstracts must be uploaded to the PiE website.
The abstract must be formatted in MSWord in Arial 11 pt font, as a blinded document.
Author's details and contact details must be uploaded as a separate Word document.
The author(s) must certify that the work has not been published previously and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.
Provide information on who the copyright holder is, in the case the article is based on a dissertation or thesis.

Ready to get published? Submit your article here!

Please upload your abstract to the Perspectives in Education OJS website on or before 31 July
To submit, click here

Further information is obtainable from:

Prof Jan Nieuwenhuis

Perspectives in Education Editor-in-Chief

perspectives@ufs.ac.za

Perspectives in Education: Announcements

Call for papers: Special Issue of Perspectives in Education Sept 2026: Managing and leading sub-Saharan African schools for sustainable social development