Using Risk Management Principles to Enhance School Leadership Preparedness and Crisis Response

Abstract

Schools, colleges, and universities are coming under new challenging, and unpredictable conditions of safety threats, local health emergencies, natural catastrophes, technological breakdowns, and psychosocial emergencies. The leaders of schools are supposed to maintain continuity of learning and protect the students, personnel, and facilities. This paper explores the way in which risk management principles implementation can improve leadership readiness and crisis management at school. Based on developed risk management models, such as the identification of risks, their assessment, mitigation, communication, and continuous monitoring, the research examines their applicability and flexibility to school leadership. The data were gathered using the mixed methods approach by administering questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to school principals and vice principals, as well as, senior teachers. Quantitative results demonstrate high correlation between perceived preparedness and response capability during crisis and systematic risk management practices (positive). The qualitative insights also suggest that proactive planning, engaging in the stakeholders and training through scenarios make leadership more certain and confident in making decisions under pressure. The research adds to the body of educational leadership by merging the risk management theory and school governance practices, as it identifies the leadership competencies that allow schools to be crisis ready. The results highlight the importance of considering risk management principles into daily leadership activities in schools not as a form of compliance but as a form of strategy that can enable schools to be resilient and adaptive to crises.