1 INTRODUCTION

The outbreak of a new coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) has spread globally at a rapid pace and continues to cause agony, sorrow and great concern for very many people all over the world. COVID‐19 is not creating just a health emergency but is disrupting society and economy in a wide sense. It has had an important impact on the education sector as well, an impact that may change the way we consider delivering education in the future.

In many countries, children and young people have seen their schools and universities close. Thanks to the immediate vigorous efforts and joint strength of teachers, non‐teaching staff and education leaders, many schools and higher education institutions have switched to online teaching and learning. For example, through broadcasting video lessons, enabling digital (self‐) tests, peer interaction and peer feedback, and providing online contact with teachers and professors.

Despite the great efforts of many education professionals, COVID‐19 creates a perilous situation for many children, young people and their parents. Many of them are faced with interrupted learning and under‐privileged students with fewer educational opportunities beyond school are the hardest hit. Those preparing for tests, assessments or exams which are crucial for their future education and career are unsure whether, when, and how examinations will be organised. Disadvantaged children and children with special education needs may be deprived of the extra guidance and support they need to develop and learn. Poor children, who qualify for free or reduced‐price school meals, miss out on nutritious lunches. Schools risk to lose sight of dropouts and children in unsafe home situations.

The coronavirus outbreak offers the education sector an excellent opportunity to boost online learning and to use other tools such as TV or radio. Yet, despite the great potential of online learning, there are practical and fundamental limitations. In practice, students may struggle to learn through online platforms alone; not everyone disposes of good online access, adequate devices and appropriate housing. It can contribute to widen the gap for disadvantaged students. From a whole child perspective, education and learning online or through other virtual or non presential means is a poor substitute for the whole endeavour of education. Education is thoroughly social; live interactions and encounters between children, young people, their peers and their teachers or professors are central to education.

The evolution of the disease and its broad societal and economic impact proves to be highly unpredictable, which makes it difficult for policymakers to take appropriate measures. Accordingly, for school leaders, the COVID‐19 crisis represents an unpredictable element of the context in which they lead the provision of education in their schools.

The role of school leaders, in uncertain and challenging times such as these, becomes more important in leading, equipping and encouraging (teams of) teachers to provide distance and online teaching and learning and to keep in touch with students in difficult or unsafe situations at home. The articles in this volume show how school leaders are the interface between changes in the external context and the school, and a range of practices they can promote, including teacher cooperation in this new environment to sustain student learning.

This is a prime example of what Michael Fullan emphasises in this thematic issue on school leadership. In his thought piece on the changing nature of leadership, he argues that as the world becomes more complex and non‐linear, and as problems are deeper and more interdependent, there is a need for leaders who can lead and learn in unpredictable situations, and are able to see ‘both the trees and the forest’.

中文翻译：

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在不可预测的时代，学校领导。

1引言

新的冠状病毒病（COVID-19）的爆发已在全球迅速蔓延，并继续引起全世界很多人的痛苦，悲伤和极大关注。COVID-19不仅造成紧急医疗事件，而且在广泛意义上破坏了社会和经济。它也对教育部门产生了重要影响，这种影响可能会改变我们将来考虑提供教育的方式。

在许多国家，儿童和年轻人看到他们的学校和大学关闭了。由于教师，非教学人员和教育领导者的不懈努力和共同力量，许多学校和高等教育机构已转向在线教学。例如，通过广播视频课程，启用数字（自）测试，同peer互动和同feedback反馈，以及与老师和教授进行在线联系。

尽管许多教育专业人员做出了巨大的努力，但COVID-19还是给许多儿童，年轻人及其父母带来了危险。他们中的许多人面临学习中断的问题，而处境不利的学生遭受的苦难最大的是课外教育机会减少。那些准备考试，评估或考试对于他们未来的教育和职业至关重要的人不确定是否，何时以及如何组织考试。处境不利的儿童和需要特殊教育的儿童可能被剥夺了他们发展和学习所需的额外指导和支持。有资格获得免费或减价学校餐的贫困儿童错过了有营养的午餐。在不安全的家庭环境中，学校冒着遗失辍学和儿童的风险。

冠状病毒的爆发为教育部门提供了一个绝佳的机会，可以促进在线学习并使用电视或广播等其他工具。然而，尽管在线学习具有巨大潜力，但仍存在实际和根本的限制。在实践中，学生可能很难通过单独的在线平台进行学习。并非所有人都拥有良好的在线访问权限，适当的设备和适当的外壳。它可以扩大与处境不利学生的差距。从整个儿童的角度来看，在线教育或通过其他虚拟或非即时手段进行的教育和学习不能替代整个教育事业。教育是完全社会的；儿童，年轻人，同龄人以及他们的老师或教授之间的实时互动和相处对于教育至关重要。

事实证明，这种疾病的发展及其广泛的社会和经济影响是高度不可预测的，这使决策者难以采取适当措施。因此，对于学校领导者来说，COVID-19危机代表了他们领导学校提供教育的环境中不可预测的因素。

在诸如此类的不确定性和挑战性时代，学校领导者的角色在领导，装备和鼓励（团队）教师提供远程和在线教学以及与处于困难或不安全情况下的学生保持联系方面变得更加重要。家。本卷中的文章展示了学校领导者如何在外部环境变化与学校之间建立联系，以及他们可以促进的一系列实践，包括在这种新环境中的教师合作以维持学生的学习。

这是迈克尔·富兰（Michael Fullan）在关于学校领导力的主题问题中强调的主要例子。他在关于领导力变化的思想中指出，随着世界变得越来越复杂和非线性，并且问题变得越来越深，越来越相互依存，需要有一种领导者能够在无法预测的情况下领导和学习，并且能够看到“树木和森林”。