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First published online March 29, 2026

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Leadership for learning: A policy analysis of the global education monitoring report 2024 and its local implications for school leadership

Paul Campbell https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4537-2575 [email protected] and Nicola Sum https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4855-7724View all authors and affiliations

https://doi.org/10.1177/08920206261430580

Abstract
References
Biographies

Abstract

Despite growing global emphasis on educational leadership for school and system improvement, a disconnect persists between aspirational policy frameworks promoted by international organisations and the lived realities of leadership at local levels. Given that the most recent Global Education Monitoring (GEM) 2024 report focuses on educational leadership, in this paper, we use interpretive policy analysis and a conceptual lens of leadership for learning to explore how the GEM2024 report frames accountability expectations for school leadership at national levels, and investigate the implications of policy levers for the development and sustainability of leadership practices locally. Findings highlight the need for contextually responsive leadership policies and accountability mechanisms that move beyond standardised and generalised global ideals. In doing so, the paper advances understanding of how supranational discourses shape leadership practice and identifies pathways for aligning global frameworks with the realities of diverse and complex education systems.

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Biographies

Paul Campbell is an Assistant Professor of Educational Administration and Leadership at the University of Hong Kong and President-Elect of the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement (ICSEI). A former school leader and primary school teacher, Paul's research interests are at the intersection of leadership, policy and educational change. His research has been published in School Leadership and Management, Journal of Professional Capital and Community, and Educational Management, Administration and Leadership.

Nicola Sum is a Senior Lecturer within the Faculty of Education at Monash University. Her work in the faculty draws on over twenty years of school experience, having worked in the Victorian, UK and International school systems. Nicola is a school principal who returned to Melbourne to complete her doctoral studies on educational leadership practice. She is an invited expert to the UNESCO Teacher Task Force School Leadership Network and is passionate about the voice of educational leaders in the field.

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