Wrestling with complexities of rural school contexts: Learning from Deputy principals’ leadership experiences

South African communities may be viewed in three categories – rural, semi-urban and urban. These communities are unequal in terms of infrastructure and economic opportunities, among other things. The inequities among the communities extend to schools as microcosms of communities. Schools in urban areas enjoy inter alia better infrastructure, reasonable resources and fundraising opportunities, while schools in rural areas suffer from problems such as poor infrastructure, lack of resources, and high poverty rates. This paper reports on a narrative inquiry that focused specifically on the effects of rural school complexities on the leadership practices of deputy principals. The findings revealed contextual complexities, including, a feeling of helplessness due to the inadequacy of resources, overwhelming workloads, and dealing with learners from below the poverty line households. These complexities constrain the leadership exercised by deputy principals and necessitate a continuous push-back reaction. Thus, the findings also show practices through which the deputy principals defy the complexities of rural school contexts.