School Management

 School Management  

Meaning

•      Management means steering an organization towards specified objectives through certain processes.

•      The collective body of those who manage or direct any enterprises.

•      Management means the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals.  

•      Management can also refer to the person or people who perform the act(s) of management.

Meaning/definition of educational management or School Management 

•      ‘Steering  an  educational  institution  towards specified objectives through certain processes’.- Paul Monroe

•      School Management is an organized group working as an executive authority which takes decisions on human resources, finance, equipments, proper planning and achieve its aims.

•      School Management is an authoritative programme of determining educational programmes and implementing them

•      It is concerned with both human and material resources.

•      The human elements include: 

(i) Children, 

(ii) parents, 

(iii) teachers and 

(iv) other employees in general.

•      On the material side there are 

(a) finance, 

(b) buildings and grounds, 

(c) equipments and instructional supplies. Besides, there are ideas, laws and regulations and so on, having a bearing on the educational process.

•      The blending of these 'parts' into a 'whole' is educational management.

Need/Importance of School management

•      For Effective and efficient functioning.

•      To bring qualitative changes.

•      Achieving group goals

•      Optimum utilization of resources

•      Expansion and diversification

•      Motivate members

•      Good interpersonal relationships

Scope of School Management

•      Providing human resources like teaching/non-teaching staff to schools/colleges.

•      Preparing academic time-tables.  

•      Looking after proper functioning of school (like discipline, teaching, examination etc.)

•      Maintaining records properly.  

•      Encouraging educational researches and publication etc.

•      Providing material resources

Functions of School Management

•      Planning  

•      Organizing  

•      Directing  

•      Motivating  

•      Decision making  

•      Evaluating

1)      Planning  

a.       Most basic and extensive process in management.  

b.      It means deciding in advance what result are to be achieved and what actions are to be taken for the same and who should take such actions, where , when and how.

2)      Organizing

a.       It is the process of grouping people and activities at the disposal of an organization.

b.      In a judicious manner, people and activities have to be grouped to produce the best results by following  

c.       the most appropriate sequence of events

3)      Directing 

a.       To function school properly, proper direction should be given to head master, teachers, students and parents.  

b.      Direction strengthens the relationship among various units related to institution.  

4)      Motivating 

a.       This means the continuous process of generation sufficient interest to each individual to carry out actions that can be benefit the organization.  

b.      As strategies for motivation both monetary and non-monetary rewards are used.

5)      Decision making 

a.       This means converting intentions to action plans on a rational basis, on the basis of a perceived relationship between actions and outcomes.  

b.      Decision making is the essence of all management.  

6)      Evaluating

a.       Evaluation is the process by which we judge the value of a thing.

b.      It is the process of determining the extent to which an educational or institutional objective attained

Aspects of Educational Management (5M’s)

·         Management of Men  

·         Management of Money  

·         Management of Machines  

·         Management of Material  

·         Management of Method

Factors influenced the development of Educational management

·         Growing complexity of educational enterprise  

·         Modern technological development

·         Ever changing pattern of education  

·         Rising cost of education

·         Increasing politicization of education  

·         Social changes

Duties and responsibilities of school teachers 

•      Academic planning

•      Resource mobilization

•      Co-curricular activities planning

•      Time allocation

•      Monitoring

•      Evaluating

•      Feedback

1)      Academic planning

 Academic planning includes 

Planning and approval for new academic programs, 

Substantial changes to those programs

Planning and approval for academic departments and centers/institutes,

Changes associated with Subjects and courses. 

A good academic plan evolves from Self-Assesment and Knowledge.

2)  Resource mobilization

•      Includes Mobilise Financial, physical and human resources for the support and development of infrastructure and programmes.

•      Identify needs, Design appropriately by collecting systems according to requirements.

3)  Co-curricular activities planning

•      Through rich and diverse programmes students should be able to experience safe, enjoyable and challenging activities which will enable them to develop and grow into successful and happy young adults.

•      Activities and programmes are to be planned for the kinesthetic and emotional developments of every student.

4) Time allocation

•      It is an important aspect of planning.

•      Proper time is to be allocated for each and every aspect of curriculum.

5)      Monitoring

•      Monitoring the implementation of projects and programmes that are executed and managed at various levels is essential for quality outputs.

6) Evaluating

•      Evaluation is essential for obtaining valid information about the performance of an organisation and factor that affect performance.

•      It is essential for improving organizational performance

7) Feedback

•      Detailed analysis of strengths and opportunities for improvement.

•      Insight from all levels and groups in the organisation.

•      Comparing performance with other organizations for improvement.

•      It is essential for adaptation, changes, and hence for survival.

Qualities that Make a Great Teachers/ Qualities of good Teachers 

•      Honesty

•      Ability to Delegate

•      Communication

•      Sense of Humor

•      Confidence

•      Commitment

•      Positive Attitude

•      Creativity

•      Intuition

•      Ability to Inspire

HM/Principal as a Leader and a manager

·         Leader of Academic activities

·         Administrative duties

·         Discipline

·         Human management

·         Financial management of the school.

Role of the Head Master/ Principals 

•      Controller & Co-ordinator

•      Organiser

•      Administrator

•      Supervisor

•      Teacher

•      Leader

•      Young & Energetic management

Duties and Responsibilities of HM/ Principal 

•      Teaching: Headmaster of a school is a teacher first and last. Teaching is his fundamental duty. Headmasters remain so much absorbed in other duties that they never enter classes. But they should take at least two periods a day on specialized subjects. They should deliver or guide demonstration classes. By actually teaching, the Headmaster comes to know the standard of pupils in different classes and the standard of teaching in the school. He directly comes in contact and understands difficulties of students and teachers.

•      Planning: Unless the Headmaster plans for the school, there will be confusion all round. For making proper planning, help of pupils, teachers, and parents should be taken. Most of the planning will be there in course of discussions of school problems in the staff meetings and students councils

•      Organization and Administration: The next important task of Headmaster is organization. In the organization of school plant the headmaster should procure adequate furniture and equipment for the school. He should make petty repairs, distribute the furniture, look to the buildings, organize laboratories, the workshop and the library and take care of the sanitation and entire material aspect of school plant. The Headmaster looks to the instructional work of the school including construction of curriculum, preparation and distribution at syllabi, work distribution among the staff, allotment of co-curricular duties, construction of the time schedule and the school calendar.

•      Supervision: Supervision and administration are the two combined functions which are mostly blended in one. Administration means performance of certain routine duties in connection with finance, discipline, correspondence etc. By supervision it is meant the overseeing the work done by the teaching staff. Supervision is improving the total teaching learning situation. This situation is no more "detection or fault finding." A Headmaster should follow the following principles of supervision.

1.         Its purpose is to help, encourage and guide rather than criticize.

2.         It should be done in a spirit of cooperation.

3.         It should be done regularly and effectively.

4.         Partiality and prejudice should find no place in it.

5.         The criteria of supervision should be known to teachers.

Supervision of instructional work is the most important function of the Headmaster or Principal. 

Some specific Duties of HM/Principal 

•      School Supplies: This involves planning. Estimates are to be prepared regarding the quantity of purchases to be made. Specification of each item is to be laid down and quotations have to be invited and approved by the Headmaster. Goods ordered should be inspected and checked on arrival. Headmaster will appoint a selection committee for purchase and maintenance of equipments

•      School Campus: School plant should provide adequate educational services. Best use of all the rooms, laboratories, workshops and the farm is made. In case of over-crowding students may attend laboratories in groups. School may be used for its specific uses. All school buildings should be guarded against building hazards. The perfect up-keep of the school campus is the lookout of the Headmaster

•      Co-Curricular Activities: Over-all management of school co-curricular activities is the Headmaster's responsibility. Various activities may of course, be distributed amongst the staff members in accordance with their previous background, interest and aptitude. Adequate budget allotment should be made for these activities. All wastage and unnecessary expenditure should be checked.

•      Office management: The modern conception of the Headmaster's office is that, it is a service centre. Communication with higher authorities, the parents, the public, the teacher and the students is made by the Headmaster. Among the specific duty on the Headmaster in respect of efficient working of school office, the following are noteworthy. The office must be located at a suitable place. It must be adequately spaced and proper up-keep ensured. Office work must be distributed adequately among members of the office staff. Headmaster must supervise their work, check irregularities, check inefficiency and ensure regular and prompt work.