Doctoral Scholar, National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (N.I.E.P.A), 17-B, Sri Aurobindo Marg, NCERT Campus, New Delhi, India
*Corresponding author: bakshishivani1989@gmail.com
Online Published on 03 August, 2023.
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 reinstated the debate on the role of school leaders in ushering in school improvement. Research backs the statement strongly as ‘school leaders are only second to teachers in ascertaining student achievement’ (Halász & Pont, 2007; Leithwood et al., 2020; Leithwood & Levin, 2010; Leithwood & Massey, 2010). Also, NEP (2020) focuses on developing inclusive education in the country. Hence, the role and responsibility of school leaders intensify as it needs to be explored in terms of inclusive educational prospects. The present qualitative study focuses on the case analysis of two schools in Trivandrum, Kerala catering to the children with special needs (CWSN) student clientele. Despite belonging to different boards of education, State and CBSE, respectively, it explores the dimensions of the progress made in special education and the challenges faced by the school principals and teachers in continuing their journey to school improvement. The paper contributes to the bleak literature on school leadership practices in the Indian context. It renders a contextualized understanding of the inclusive education development in Kerala; a state celebrated for its significant achievement in educational development, equity, and access(Kerala State Planning Board, 2019; KSPB, 2021; PIB, 2021).
School leadership, Contextual leadership, Special needs education, Kerala schools, School improvement, Indian schools, School support system
