Educational leaders as promoters of social justice in spanish schools

Abstract

Presently, the subordination of schools to mandates of standardisation, competitiveness and selectivity reinforces educational inequalities and widens educational gaps. This conceptual article tries to recall the need to improve social justice in schools and describe the role of principals in this regard. The article offers an analysis of three topics related to leadership for social justice: (i) the importance of equity and social justice as a reference for educational leadership, (ii) the type of educational leadership that leaders require for social justice, and (iii) educational leaders as agents for inclusion and equity, and strategies to fight inequity. Based on the literature analysis, the results highlight that leadership for social justice is needed more than ever, given the increasing complexity and diversity in the school context. They also highlight that social justice is related to a more democratic, distributed, and transformational school leadership. And show that leaders who are agents of change can benefit from leadership for social justice as it proposes a direction for transformation, prioritising the values of equity, justice, commitment, and cooperation. The paper finishes by providing some examples of change in Spain and suggesting recommendations for promoting social justice.