Controversy is an unavoidable and growing part of life, and therefore of school life, in Europe. Yet few school leaders or senior managers in European countries receive any formal training in how to handle controversial issues in school. Development programmes for future leaders and managers seldom mention it and the subject is rarely, if ever, addressed in continual professional development.
Managing controversy is a self-reflection tool for school leaders and leadership teams that has been produced by the Council of Europe to fill this gap. The tool helps practitioners reflect on the way controversy is handled in their schools and offers practical suggestions for how it might be addressed more proactively and strategically.
Its central message is that controversy is not to be feared but should be seen as a natural part of school life, and which, when managed well, has significant social and educational benefits.