Laugh - and the world

laughs with you

Ross Thomas

w , . * .. * o .
current educational controversy, Cartoons
*

principals may be the subject of cartoons

In preparing for the principalship,
aspirants to the office will spend a large
proportion of their time studying the
role to be played in this executive
position. Not only will they examine job
descriptions and the formal text book
and then, through self-reflection, their
own perceptions of the principalship, so
too will they attempt to understand how
others, particularly non-educationists,
perceive the role.
The role of school principal is quite
frequently portrayed in a variety of
popular (i.e. non-education)
entertainments. In novel and biography
examples abound. Principals are to be
found in The Getting of Wisdom (Henry
Handel Richardson), Boy: Tales of
Childhood (Roald Dahl) and To Serve
Them All My Days (R.F. Delderfield), for
example. In film, prominent examples
may be found in Dead Poets Society, The
Principal, Clockwise, Lean on Me, and
Picnic at Hanging Rock.
in the daily press. They may also be In this study an analysis was made of a
sketched in teachers industrial union sample of cartoons in which the
newsletters and bulletins. They may find principalship constituted a key element.
representation in comic strips such as The purpose of the study was to
C.M. Schultzs Peanuts. Principals also investigate the variety of representations
attract the attention of the cartoonist in of the school principal, to do so
professional publications. through an extensive period of time
and to seek indications (if any) of a
Cartoons can be a powerful medium. stereotypic officer. The source of
At simplest they may titillate a viewers cartoons consulted was the monthly
humour or satirise or lampoon specific educational journal, Phi Delta
characteristics of a subject. Yet seldom Kappan, published by the American
arethese the sole intent of the artists professional association for
who create them. Cartoons may go well educationists, Phi Delta Kappa.
beyond, reflecting their creators The journal is concerned with
perceptions, informing their viewers educational research, service, and
and observing insightfully the people leadership; issues, trends and policies
and performers who comprise selected are emphasised.
parts of everyday life.

Perusal of film, video and published

material readily reveals a diversified,
wide-ranging representation of the
principalship. To compare, for example,
Dr Nolan (Dead Poets Society) with Rick
Lattimer (The Principal) is to provide
stark contrast in age, attitudes,
administrative practices, relationships,
and, of course, communities served by
their respective schools.

TheCartoonist as Guide

The principalship has also come under

the scrutiny of the cartoonist.
Numerically, cartoons of principals are
seen far less frequently than are

representations of what are arguably even

greater sources of interest - teachers and
students. Nevertheless, when considered
newsworthy, usually in the wake of a

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 Twenty years of Kappan issues
(1973-1974 to 1992-1993) were
individually examined in order to
identify and isolate cartoons about the
principal. No criteria for identification
or analysis were initially specified

because the intentions were, first, to

locate cartoons and, second, tentatively
to suggest analytical criteria for a

subsequent content analysis.

Therefore, as long as the cartoon was
about the principal it was isolated. In
151 such cartoons were identified
all,
and classified according to several
criteria.

cartoons present
extraordinary,
an

seemingly immutable
perception of the
principalship
Categorisation of each cartoon was
effected through issues / themes
(finance, learning, industrial dispute,
policies); location/workstation (office,
&dquo;Think, Ms. Boyle, think! Was the third-grade class still with you when you entered the museum?&dquo; &dquo;

corridor); sex; estimate of age; role

(disciplinarian, counsellor); mood
(happy, puzzled); company; whose view
is being expressed; principals activity
(desk-work, reading, phoning); physical
characteristics; physical stance;
educational technology (phone, fax, PC).
Inter-observer reliability of >90% was
achieved for content analysis of cartoon
data entered. A descriptive analysis of
categorical entries was completed using
a Statview (4.0) package.

.
: * #
!!! > &dquo; !J! !

Contrary to the varied image of novel

and film, Kappan cartoons present an
extraordinary, seemingly immutable
perception of the principalship. For
example, the principal is typically a
white male aged 40-50 years, almost
always wearing a suit, bespectacled,
balding and endomorphically inclined.
Certain work tasks are inevitably
allocated to him (dealing with paper
work and meeting with others), mostly
conducted from the power base of
his office, protected by a large desk
that is usually adorned with a telephone
and one or two sheafs of paper. Little
other technology is ever shown. (See
&dquo;

&dquo;I u7ouldnt expect you to understand peer-group pressure - for you, as we all know, are peertess.&dquo; example 1.)

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&dquo;Brother! Did you ever have one of those days?
By the way, our principal said to tell you the
&dquo;
school systems attorney will be contacting you.&dquo;
It is apparent that the cartoon
principal is not much concerned with
the management of educational issues
such as curricula. Neither do matters of
philosophy and pedagogy often fall
within his domain. By contrast, the role
of the principal as a manager of younger
(usually female and often stressed) staff
is very apparent. (see example 2.) Even
&dquo;Ill never forget uou either, Richie,
more obvious is the principals role of of the male domain - contrary to the
reacting to (or dealing with) those influx of women (and non-white)
influences (usually students but also principals in US schools in recent
teachers and parents) who dare to years. Another answer may lie in a
interrupt or to question the status quo of perceived need to portray the principal
the educational process. (See example 3.) as the stable content in a milieu of
Thus the principal is at once the intense, demanding change. But
disciplinarian of children (and teachers) whatever, herein exists a basis for
and the harbinger of tidings to parents reflection by principals and by aspirants
(and teachers) of non-angelic students. to the office.
(See example 4.) Often, the principal is
also the slow reactor - the deadpan, Ross Thomas is AssociateProfessor at the
inert, and rather flummoxed individual University of New England, Armidale,
who is above the crises that surround NSW, Australia.
him. Others may react but the principal
seldom does! (See example 5.)
Thus, the representation of the
principal in this sample of cartoons is
not as diversified as that in, for example,
novel and film. In considering how
others perceive their role, principals
must ask why such a reputable,
professional journal as Kappan
stereotypes the vocation. There could be
several reasons. One answer may lie in
the nature of the cartoonists, most of
whom were male. Perhaps they seek to
maintain the status quo and the
traditional skewness of power by
continuing to portray the office as part
&dquo;
but Ill try...
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