A silent revolution is unfolding and the weapon is collaborative leadership

Abstract

The preponderance of literature associated with school violence illuminates the severity of its manifestation in schools both nationally and internationally. The impact of school violence on students' physical and emotional well-being cannot be understated as this is commensurate with student academic achievement. The South African Government's National Development Plan 2030 identifies the improvement of the quality of public services as critical to achieving transformation. It is germane to then consider how an education system entrenched in a long-standing history of violence can be adopted in an agenda of transformation. In his 2023 State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa stated: "Schools must be safe and allow for effective learning and teaching". Behind this pronouncement, is a silent revolution unfolding. South African schools, now nearly three decades into democracy, are focusing on collaborative leadership to contribute meaningfully to the redress of violence in school environments and move toward trauma-informed practices. A study comprising 121 schools in South Africa reveals that school management teams are employing collaborative leadership to address such behaviours. Underpinned by the Collaborative Leadership Theory, this mixed methods research design investigates how collaborative leadership is employed by educational practitioners to address school violence in 21st century classrooms. The results of this study have the potential to offer an approach towards addressing school violence in South African schools, despite the complexities of an education system stemming from a violent past which remains evident in South African classrooms today.