Every primary school has the position of a Manager, and this figure directly influences the teachers, indirectly affecting the students. However, the danger of their influence on the students, although indirect, is decisive. A Manager's strict bureaucratic decisions can either place the student in a state of passion or a state of stagnation.
Based on my many years of experience in the education sector, the primary school Manager is a psychologically complex character, closely resembling the personality of Stephen in the movie Django Unchained. In every primary school, there is a "Stephen" who is tasked with managing the school according to the whims of the masters.
Stephen is a black man from the era of slavery in the United States, serving as the house manager for a wealthy family. He controls a group of black servants and slaves, characteristic of that period. Stephen is noted for his total submission to his master—without question, even in a formal manner—but simultaneously, he plays the role of Pharaoh/Moses when it comes to other slaves, all in exchange for scraps of favor from the wealthy landowner.
The most dangerous trait of Stephen's character is his instinct to cling to the oppressive racist system that protects the white masters, trampling on the lives of the black slaves. The slaves themselves saw Stephen as the biggest obstacle in their quest for freedom, and history has proven them right. Traitors within one's own people are often more dangerous than external enemies.
Stephen's character consists of two main psychological traits:
The sadistic personality disorder Sadomasochism
The primary school Manager inevitably exhibits sadistic behavior when it comes to his relationship with the teachers under his authority, much like Stephen did with the black slaves under his command. Sadistic personalities are characterized by cruelty and repeated aggression, which may include emotional cruelty, deceit, manipulation, and even verbal abuse, if possible. The Manager takes pleasure in causing pain and suffering to the teachers.
At the same time, the Manager also possesses a masochistic personality. This means that he derives pleasure from receiving psychological torment from those in authority above him, much like Stephen did from his wealthy master. One of these Managers once told me that he represented executive authority and was therefore obliged to implement orders from higher authorities without question. In his view, those who pay his salary control his fate. Unfortunately, this is the logic of a slave, and I believe there is a significant difference between executive authority and slavery, Mr. Manager.
When a teacher deals with a "Stephen-like" figure, who is the school Manager with such psychological disorders, the teacher finds himself in a dangerous situation that requires skillful handling. The teacher must avoid confronting this dictator (dressed as a rabbit) on one hand, and on the other, not ignore what he tries to convince him of. In short, the teacher in this situation is like an acrobat walking a very thin rope over a pile of flames.
The ongoing confrontation between the teacher and the Manager inevitably affects the teacher's psyche, either darkening his mood, disrupting his teaching methods and plans, or placing him in an uncomfortable position that negatively impacts his performance before the students. Therefore, I suggest removing the Manager's "supervisory" authority and instead keeping him responsible for communicating new legal materials and regulations, rather than enforcing and monitoring their implementation. This would relieve teachers from this administrative burden, which obstructs the entire educational system.