Huvudmaster

Huvudmaster is a term used in Swedish to denote the head administrator of a school, typically equivalent to the English "headmaster" or "principal." The word combines huvud ("head") and mästare ("master"). In contemporary Sweden, the chief administrative role of a school is commonly referred to as rektor, while huvudmaster is more historical or regional and may be encountered in older texts or specific institutions. In other contexts or languages, similar terms are headteacher in the UK and principal in the US.

A huvudmaster is responsible for the overall leadership of a school, including pedagogical direction, administration, budgeting, staffing, and student welfare. Tasks include curriculum alignment with national or municipal guidelines, supervision of teachers and support staff, implementation of safety and disciplinary policies, and acting as the primary contact with the school board, municipality, or parents' associations. The role requires educational leadership training, experience in teaching, and sometimes formal management qualifications.

In most of Sweden today, the title rektor is used, and responsibility for schools is distributed across municipal or state authorities. The term huvudmaster remains mostly of historical interest or used in specific historical documents, while the modern practice emphasizes formal leadership structures and professional management standards.