THE NEED FOR A TRANSFORMATIVE EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP

The problems that humanity faces in the 21st century make a new educational leadership indispensable if humanity is to survive as a species and our planet Earth is to survive as a biosphere. The undeniable fact that humanity is at a crossroads can be seen in the environmental degradation which could become irreversible, in rising criminality among youth in both developing and industrialized countries, in the increasing divide between the haves and the have-nots, which threatens peace at a local, national and global levels, and in the exponential boom of social ills like alcoholism, drug addiction, trafficking, and an epidemic of youth depression. Due to the exigencies of 21st century economies, in which both parents of a family have to work to make ends meet, a growing number of neglected children are in danger of becoming social outcasts, delinquents, or victims of drug abuse. This situation makes the need for a new educational leadership based on ethics and not just on academic competence absolutely necessary.