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OaSIS 2025 Version 1.0
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40021.01 – School principals

School principals plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate the activities of teachers and other staff of an elementary or secondary school.

Overview

Example job titles

  • Aboriginal school principal
  • Elementary school principal
  • School principal
  • Secondary school principal
  • Vocational high school principal

Core competencies

  • Learning and Teaching Strategies to promote best practices in teaching, support professional development for staff and ensure educational strategies align with students' needs and educational standards
  • Social Perceptiveness to respond to the social dynamics of the school environment, address interpersonal issues and support student and staff needs
  • Problem Identification to properly identify and address issues that affect school operations, such as staff conflicts or resource shortages
  • Verbal Ability and Speech Clarity to communicate school policies, give lectures and engage in conversations with teachers, students, parents or other stakeholders
  • Leadership to guide, inspire and motivate teachers and staff to foster a positive school culture and drive academic goals
  • Knowledge in Clerical to understand various administrative concepts and principles necessary to run a school, including maintaining records, processing paperwork, scheduling meetings and handling correspondence

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate, through department heads or supervisors, the activities of teachers and support staff
  • Review programs to ensure conformance to school board or provincial standards and develop programs within limits of authority
  • Co-ordinate teaching activities of the institution by making personnel assignments, determining class size and preparing timetables
  • Organize and maintain procedures for the keeping of records
  • Prepare and administer institution or program budget
  • Direct and co-ordinate school maintenance services and the use of school facilities
  • May recruit and hire teachers and other staff
  • May teach.

Additional information

  • There is little mobility between institutional settings, for example, between elementary and secondary schools.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Administrators - post-secondary education and vocational training (40020)

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.