Administrative Empowerment among Private School Principals from Their Perspective

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the reality of administrative empowerment among private school principals by analyzing their views and professional experiences. It also seeks to propose strategic recommendations to enhance administrative empowerment for these educational leaders. The study employed a descriptive-analytical methodology and used a questionnaire distributed to a random sample of ten private school and center principals located in several Libyan cities: Tripoli, Tarhuna, Al Khums, Zliten, and Misrata. The goal was to measure their level of empowerment in areas such as:Decision-making _Decision-making _ Delegation of authority _Participation in planning _Continuous professional development. The results indicate that the reality of administrative empowerment is generally positive. Members of the sample demonstrated a high degree of empowerment that enables them to lead their educational institutions with competency and professionalism. However, the level of empowerment varied depending on the educational environment, internal institutional policies, and available administrative support. The study also revealed several challenges impeding full empowerment, most notably centralized decision-making and weak communication between administrative authorities and schools. The research concludes with key recommendations, including: • Enhancing the autonomy of private school principals • Providing developmental training programs • Adopting administrative systems that promote participative and transparent leadership