ABSTRACT
In the last few years, statements similar to this pronouncement from the Ministry of Education in the UK can often be encountered in many different countries. It appears in various versions, in official bulletins issued by the various ministries for education; it can even be heard in political speeches. It is not surprising that the press releases of school leaders' associations echo this sentiment. Moreover, there also seems to be international consensus about the importance of the role of school leaders and, therefore, their development among educationalists, teachers' associations and school boards or education authorities in the various countries. On looking more carefully, however, it is apparent that a number of countries have acted more positively than others regarding the consistent implementation of what is demanded in the statement quoted above. While in some countries discussions of school leader development are mainly rhetoric, elsewhere concrete steps have been taken to provide significant opportunities for school leader development.
