ABSTRACT
A fundamental notion underpinning considerations in previous chapters is that leadership needs to be exercised by students, teachers and other members of the school organisation in order to promote the enhancement of the quality of learning which takes place. However, unless it is also exercised across all levels of the educational sector then such enhancement is unlikely to eventuate. In the last chapter a number of cases were outlined indicating various possibilities in this regard both in terms of the construction of realistic, yet exciting, curriculum innovations, and the implementation of innovative pedagogical practices. It is very valuable to deliberate on cases of such a nature in order to promote inspiration amongst leaders for learning. However, the facilitation of this deliberation needs to be accompanied by the promotion of the argument that it is vital to give voice to the key stakeholders involved in the educational enterprise, especially those at the school level. This is to say that those educational leaders who are charged with developing and implementing policy aimed at enhancing student learning need to take cognisance of how potential leaders of learning lower down the bureaucratic chain, particularly teachers and students, as well as parents and other community members, make sense of their educational world. The present chapter considers this matter. It opens with an elaboration on the argument offered earlier. Six cases are then offered which illustrate how failure to take account of the central proposition of this argument have resulted time and again in the failure of theoretically sound projects with great potential to enhance student learning.
