تمهين الإدارة المدرسيّة في لبنان : الإطار التشريعي والإداري - التطوير المهني لمديري المدارس الرسميّة - المتابعة والتقويم
This study focuses on the professionalization of school leadership in Lebanon, specifically addressing the legislative and administrative framework, the professional development of public-school principals, and monitoring and evaluation, within the context of structural and educational challenges facing the current administrative and educational system in public schools. These challenges are manifested in outdated legislation, inadequate professional preparation and development programs, and ineffective monitoring and evaluation policies. The study aims to identify the gap between the current administrative and educational reality and the requirements for transforming school administration into a professional practice based on modern leadership and management standards, and to analyze the suitability of the existing legislative and administrative framework, professional development programs, and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for meeting professionalization requirements. The study employed a descriptive-analytical approach using mixed methods design, combining quantitative and qualitative research to analyze gaps and understand the structural context of the educational administrative system. The study population comprised all principals of public schools and secondary schools in Lebanon, totaling 1,230 individuals. Questionnaires were distributed to the entire population, and 401 principals responded, forming a stratified sample representative of all governorates and educational levels, ensuring statistically reliable results. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with several educational officials from the ministry of education and higher education, the center for educational research and development, and the faculty of education at the Lebanese University to deepen understanding of the results and enrich qualitative analysis. The results revealed clear gaps between the current administrative and educational reality and the requirements for professionalization, including outdated legislative and administrative frameworks, weak organization and adequacy of preparation and professional development programs, absence of national policies for sustainable development, and ineffective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. The study also highlighted the impact of structural challenges on principals’ ability to exercise professional school leadership effectively. Based on the findings, the study recommends a set of practical measures at three main levels: 1) legislative and administrative framework: develop a comprehensive national policy for the professionalization of school leadership, revise legislation to classify the role of “school principal” as a specialized educational profession, link appointment to professional preparation and certifications, enhance digital transformation, and implement educational decentralization while involving principals in policymaking. 2) Professional development: implement accredited academic and practical preparation programs for principals, activate an annual professional development plan, establish national networks of professional learning communities, and link professional incentives to performance. 3) Monitoring and evaluation: develop a transparent national model for evaluating principals’ performance based on modern indicators, utilize digital tools for self and formative assessment, establish an independent national monitoring body, and enhance fairness and objectivity through multi-source evaluation. The study concludes that professionalizing school leadership represents a critical step toward improving the quality of education in Lebanon by developing competent school leadership capable of managing change and achieving sustainable reforms in the educational system. (Author's abstract)