Leading through scarcity: Strategic School Management Team interventions in managing the life skills curriculum within resource-constrained township environments in South Africa

Patience Ntombesine Mandlelize and Mmalefikane Sylvia Sepeng
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Patience Ntombesine Mandlelize: Department of Leadership and Management, College of Education, University of South Africa
Mmalefikane Sylvia Sepeng: Department of Leadership and Management, College of Education, University of South Africa

Annals of the University of Craiova for Journalism, Communication and Management, 2026, vol. 12, 75-82

Abstract: Life skills is a subject under the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) known for its benefits as it fosters learners’ holistic development. This article focuses on the strategic interventions by the School Management Team (SMT) to ensure effective implementation of the life skills curriculum within resource-constrained primary schools in South Africa. Within the context of SMTs, Heads of Department (HODs) are responsible for curriculum management and work closely with Life Skills teachers. The main aim of this article is to explore in great depth the strategies employed by HODs, as part of the SMT, to manage the Life Skills curriculum within resource-constrained township environments. The research was conducted in 5 primary schools under the Ekurhuleni North District. This study employed a qualitative case study design to gather rich information from 10 HODs and 2 school principals. Purposive sampling was used to intentionally select participants who were aligned with the study’s objectives. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that resource constraints affect not only SMTs but also Life Skills teachers and learners. The findings revealed that, despite significant resource, funding, and infrastructure limitations, SMTs adopt various strategic interventions to sustain teaching and learning. A major recommendation from the study was for the Department of Education to stop the marginalization of life skills so that it is given the same priority as subjects like Mathematics. This study also recommended that school managers should ensure that in the school budgets, life skills are accommodated.

Keywords: challenges; strategies; school management team (SMT); resource constraints; intervention (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Z0 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:edt:aucjcm:v:12:y:2026:p:75-82

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.24091160

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