South African School Leaders’ Attitudes and Roles in Implementing the South African Language Policy

This study examines the attitudes of school leaders and how their interpretation of the African language policy influences its implementation in practice, as well as how this interpretation hinders the multilingual goal in South African public schools. The qualitative data were collected from semi-structured, audio-recorded interviews lasting between 30 and 40 min, with sixteen school leaders from four public schools in the Johannesburg East District. Participants comprised two principals, six deputy principals, six departmental heads, one Institutional Development and Support Official, and one District African Language facilitator. Data were analysed using a Thematic Analysis supported by Constant Comparative Analysis. Findings reveal an uneven understanding of policy among leaders, resource constraints, overcrowding, inadequate teacher training, and competing community preferences for English. The results were interpreted using Burns’ Transformational Leadership Theory, through the mapping of the leaders’ responses to the theory’s four dimensions: idealised influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration. Recommendations, which are tied to the empirical findings, include targeted leadership development in policy interpretation, a strategic plan to support learners’ transition from home language to English at a school level, and a partnership between the school and district to address resource and teacher training gaps.