SCHOOL-LEVEL PLANNING: ROLE OF SCHOOL LEADERSHIP IN ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATIONAL PLANNING

Abstract

In the context of Sri Lanka’s shift toward decentralized education, school-level planning has become a cornerstone for improving school effectiveness and educational quality. School leadership plays a pivotal role in ensuring the success of such planning by aligning institutional goals with national educational priorities. School leaders must act not only as institutional managers but also as systemic change agents capable of implementing long-term educational reforms. The Short Course on School Management, introduced by the Department of Educational Leadership and Management at the Open University of Sri Lanka, aims to strengthen school principals’ competencies in areas such as strategic planning, supervision, and evaluation. The primary purpose of this study was to examine how school leaders implement school-level planning, identify the challenges they face across various planning stages, and explore the strategies they adopt to overcome these obstacles. Employing a case study design, the research focused on 20 principals from the 5th batch of the short course. Data were collected through online questionnaires, focus group discussions, reflections, and document analysis. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data underwent thematic content analysis. Findings revealed that while all principals engaged in one-year and five-year planning based on national guidelines, their efforts were frequently obstructed by financial constraints, inadequate stakeholder involvement, limited teacher capacity, and insufficient data systems. Despite these challenges, most principals adopted strategic, collaborative, and contextually appropriate approaches to ensure the continuity and effectiveness of planning processes. The study recommends greater investment in professional development, improved data infrastructure, and stronger community engagement to enhance school-level planning outcomes. These findings have implications for both policymakers and educational leaders striving to achieve equitable and context-relevant education across Sri Lanka.