By Dr Fay Hodza and Eriah Lule
Across Africa, secondary schools sit at the centre of national development ambitions. Yet many learners complete their school years without gaining the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to succeed in life.
While many factors influence learning, global and regional evidence points clearly to one truth: effective school leadership is one of the strongest drivers of improved learning outcomes, second only to the quality of classroom teaching.
In education systems where resources are limited and classrooms overcrowded, the role of the school leader becomes even more important. A 2022 working paper on school leadership in Africa by Tonny Bush found that schools with strong leadership teams achieve significantly better results. These schools record higher learning gains, better teacher attendance, stronger safeguarding practices and more supportive learning environments.
By contrast, weak school leadership and management are often linked to poor academic performance, high dropout rates and persistent inequalities, especially for girls and other vulnerable learners.
Leadership gaps in many schools
Despite its importance, school leadership remains one of the most neglected areas in secondary education reform across the continent.
One of the major challenges is limited training and preparation. In many African countries, fewer than one in five secondary school headteachers receive any formal leadership training before or after their appointment.
Another challenge is weak instructional leadership. In many school systems, headteachers spend less than 20 per cent of their time supporting teaching and learning, even though this is one of the most effective ways to improve student performance.
School reviews across the region also highlight gaps in management capacity. Common problems include poor timetabling, weak performance management and limited use of school data such as learner attendance, examination results and teacher performance.
There are also concerns about equity and safeguarding. Without strong leadership, schools often struggle to create safe and supportive learning environments, which can lead to higher dropout rates among girls and other vulnerable learners.
Impact on learning outcomes
The consequences of weak leadership are reflected in learning outcomes across the continent.
An article on improving foundational learning in Zambia by Africa Practice (2024) revealed that more than 80 per cent of students leave lower secondary school without basic proficiency in literacy or numeracy. The situation is particularly severe in rural schools, where leadership structures are often weakest.
This highlights the urgent need to strengthen leadership at the school level if meaningful improvements in education are to be achieved.
Putting learners at the centre
To change this picture, school leaders must place learners at the centre of every aspect of school operations.
One important step is strengthening instructional leadership so that every classroom provides high-quality, learner-centred teaching.
School leaders must also create safe and inclusive environments where both girls and boys feel supported to participate fully in school life. Such environments promote equality and help reduce dropout rates.
Effective leaders also make use of data to identify learning gaps early and provide support tailored to individual learners’ needs.
Another often overlooked strategy is building strong relationships with teachers, parents and communities. When these groups work together, they create a shared sense of responsibility for improving learning outcomes.
Evidence from practice
When school leaders are properly trained and supported, the impact can be significant. Teacher motivation improves, learners become more engaged, safeguarding measures are strengthened and academic performance rises.
Most importantly, learners from underserved communities are given a fair chance to reach their full potential.
Promoting Equality in African Schools (PEAS) provides one example of how strong leadership can make a difference. The organisation has demonstrated that effective school leadership can lead to strong academic results even in remote and underserved schools in Uganda, Zambia and Ghana.
In the 2025 Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) results, PEAS schools recorded a 99.9 per cent pass rate, surpassing the national average by 0.25 percentage points across a network of 30 secondary schools. More than 3,000 students sat the examinations, reflecting both strong enrolment and high levels of learner persistence.
Investing in school leaders
These achievements reinforce a simple truth: when school leaders are empowered and equipped to support quality teaching and learning, students thrive.
Improving secondary education in Africa will not be possible without investing in the people who shape the daily experiences of learners. School leadership is not merely an administrative role; it is a powerful engine for learning, equity and opportunity.
Dr Fay Hodza is the PEAS Global Senior Director for Programmes, and Eriah Lule is the Communications Officer for PEAS Uganda.
