Unveiling the Veil: Exploring ethical leadership in a context of abuse and depravity

This paper is generated from a more extensive PhD study that explored ethical leadership amidst turbulent circumstances and widespread deprivation in four purposively selected Zimbabwean high schools. The study employed the African Philosophy of Ubuntu as its theoretical foundation, which values human dignity and ethical values. This paper explores ethical leadership in the context of depravity and abuse in four Zimbabwean schools. The participants were drawn from four Zimbabwean high/secondary schools. These included the four school heads (Principals), eight department heads (two from each school) and 16 teachers (four from each school), all of whom were interviewed. An open-ended questionnaire was administered to 11 teachers from each school, giving a total of 44 questionnaire responses. Utilising a qualitative multiple-case study approach rooted in social constructivism, data were collected through semi-structured interviews, document analysis and open-ended questionnaires. Thematic analysis revealed the blurred lines between discipline and abuse, highlighting the detrimental impact of abusive practices on both students and staff. The study uncovered instances of abuse within the schools. Physical abuse mainly targeted learners, while verbal and sexual abuse occurred among teachers and between teachers and learners. This paper underscores the importance of ethical leadership in addressing these challenges and calls for disciplinary practices focusing on dignity, respect, and compassion within educational settings. To ameliorate abusive practices, it advocates for ethical disciplinary measures and harsher sentences on those found guilty of abuse, hence In the pursuit of fostering an ethical educational environment, leaders within schools encounter a myriad of challenges; these include dealing with depravity and managing different forms of abuse. Guided by the African Philosophy of Ubuntu as its theoretical foundation, which values human dignity and ethical values, this paper, extracted from a larger PhD study on ethical leadership amidst turbulence and deprivation, explores ethical leadership in the context of depravity and abuse in four Zimbabwean schools. A qualitative multiple-case study, underpinned by social constructivism, was conducted across four purposively selected Zimbabwean high/secondary schools. Participants included four school heads, eight department heads (two per school) and 16 teachers (four per school) who took part in semi-structured interviews. An open-ended questionnaire was administered to 11 teachers per school ( n = 44). Document analysis complemented primary data. Thematic analysis was employed to identify the patterns related to leadership, discipline and abuse. The study uncovered instances of abuse within the schools and the blurred lines between discipline and abuse, highlighting the detrimental impact of abusive practices on both students and staff. Physical abuse mainly targeted learners, while verbal and sexual abuse occurred among teachers and between teachers and learners. The dynamics highlighted gaps in ethical leadership practices and policy enactment. The study underscores the centrality of ethical leadership, grounded in Ubuntu, to create an atmosphere that fosters ethical behaviour and helps ameliorate abusive practices in Zimbabwean schools and beyond. It advocates for stronger and ethical sanctions for confirmed cases of abuse.