tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50490755595561288922024-03-16T11:52:50.858-07:00Education Management Programme Module TwoThe principles covered here include: aspects of human and public relations, communications, delegation, decision making and problem solving. We hope that the module will encourage you to reflect on your own performance and consider ways in which you might improve your own school management processes to become more effective in your role as school head and as a manager of change.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5049075559556128892.post-34982405524296160252008-08-29T09:58:00.000-07:002008-08-29T10:51:25.968-07:00Preface<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIp7z-rOqlK5mIfv1IxDOlzuGMz5oSA1GP_jtORahkurC0vkS1oYQmWaqzhiqqlUXuBNnnHA333IYW1dRzTB_rd7IhO2AV3s_XmwxCJBmYvtsRU2znF_Mv1UvMVdcjuGw0f1Rx03cTuE/s1600-h/handbook+small.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239987504197948978" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="252" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIp7z-rOqlK5mIfv1IxDOlzuGMz5oSA1GP_jtORahkurC0vkS1oYQmWaqzhiqqlUXuBNnnHA333IYW1dRzTB_rd7IhO2AV3s_XmwxCJBmYvtsRU2znF_Mv1UvMVdcjuGw0f1Rx03cTuE/s320/handbook+small.jpg" width="167" border="0" /></a> These materials were prepared co‑operatively under the Training and Support Programme for School Headteachers in Africa in the 1990s. They were updated considerably in Guyana in 2000 and again in 2008 to meet the needs of the Guyanese educational context.<br /><br />Governments in developing Commonwealth countries wishing to reproduce or adapt the materials in whole or in part in any language should inform the Commonwealth Secretariat which may be able to offer some assistance in doing so.<br /><br />For further information, write to the Director of the Education Programme, Commonwealth Secretariat, London.<br /><br />COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT<br /><br />Education Programme<br />Human Resource Development Group<br />Marlborough House<br />Pall Mall<br />London,<br />United Kingdom<br />SW1Y 5HX<br /><br />or<br /><br /><div>THE DIRECTOR<br /><br />National Centre for Educational Resource Development<br />3, Battery Road,<br />Kingston,<br />Georgetown,<br />Guyana<br /><br />Prepared for publication by the MPU, NCERD<br />Originally designed and formatted by Geoffrey Wadsley.<br />Updated design and format by NCERD staff in partnership with<br /><br />© Copyright Commonwealth Secretariat & Ministry of Education, NCERD Guyana 2008</div><div>Notes on Assessment<br />Please note that each of the unit contains two kinds of activities as follows:<br /><br />1. <strong>Reflection</strong> – You will see these from time to time throughout the text. They are in white type and highlighted in black. E.g. Reflection. You are not required to submit your thoughts on these issues to your Master Trainer. You may make notes if you wish but they are your own personal reflections on the issues raised.<br />2. <strong>Activities</strong> – These are formal assessments which you will have to submit to your Master Trainer as part of your portfolio. You should number them in the same way as the units and carry out the activity as stated.</div><div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5049075559556128892.post-8012432276682792262008-08-29T09:57:00.000-07:002008-08-29T10:53:59.451-07:00Principles of Educational Leadership<strong><span style="font-size:180%;color:#000066;">Module 2</span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Introduction</span></strong><br />The task of running a school requires imagination and common sense. But there are also certain principles of management which can provide useful guidance for the practising school head, and a number of these are examined in this module. The principles covered here include: aspects of human and public relations, communications, delegation, decision making and problem solving. We hope that the module will encourage you to reflect on your own performance and consider ways in which you might improve your own school management processes to become more effective in your role as school head and as a manager of change.<br /><br />All references throughout this module refer to Headteachers who are already in post. If these are not your circumstances and you are perhaps an aspiring Headteacher, please make the necessary adjustment in your reading.<br /><br />Individual study time: 20 hours<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Objectives</span></strong><br />After working through this module you should be able to:<br /><br />¨ discuss the contribution which management theory can make to under­standing management practice<br />¨ relate your responsibilities and duties as a school head to the functions of the Guyana Government and its Ministries and especially the Ministry of Education.<br />¨ differentiate between the main functions of the head of a school and identify some of the tasks associated with each<br />¨ understand the importance of good human relations and communica­tions in promoting a suitable working environment for teachers, pupils and non‑teaching staff in a school<br />¨ outline the importance of delegation and outline the key principles and procedures involved in delegation in schools<br />¨ explain decision making and problem solving and list the major factors which contribute towards effective practice<br />¨ describe the nature of the change process and identify the key manage­ment functions and tasks associated with the effective management of school<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Units</span></strong><br /><strong>Unit 1:</strong> Introduction to educational management 3 ½ hours<br />In this you will learn about some theoretical perspectives on management<br />and identify key concepts and principles. A deeper understanding of the nature of educational management should enable you to improve your practice as a school manager.<br /><br /><strong>Unit 2:</strong> Government organisation and functions 2 hours<br />Here you will find out about the nature of government as an organisation, and how it may well affect the quality of management in your school. You are encouraged to apply the general principles of management introduced in Unit 1 to the running of public affairs in Guyana.<br /><br /><strong>Unit 3:</strong> The functions of school management 3 hours<br />The major functions of management include planning, organising, directing, supervising and evaluating. In this unit you will examine how they relate to each other and how together they describe the role of the school head.<br /><br /><strong>Unit 4:</strong> Human and public relations 3 hours<br />As school head you are responsible for a large number of people and you must therefore know something about the behaviour of people in organisations and how best to motivate people to ensure the success of your school.<br /><br /><strong>Unit 5:</strong> Delegation in a school 2 hours<br />As a manager of your school you need to be well aware that you cannot achieve your goals and objectives if you do all the tasks alone. In this unit you will consider the process of delegation, considering its importance and some of the barriers to its effectiveness.<br /><br /><strong>Unit 6:</strong> Communication and negotiation 2 hours 2 hours<br />Communication is an essential part of management and here you will learn about the concept of communication, different forms of communication, and the importance of effective communications for staff meetings and negotiations.<br /><br /><strong>Unit 7:</strong> Decision making and problem solving 2 hours<br />Here you will focus on these two key management functions and examine some of the major factors which contribute towards effective decision making and problem solving.<br /><br /><strong>Unit 8:</strong> The management of change 2½ hours<br />In the final unit, you will consider the nature of change in schools and focus on your role in bringing about change. It is suggested that the effective manager of change is one who adopts strategies derived from many of the management principles and practices explored in the earlier units of the module<br /><strong><span style="font-size:100%;color:#000000;"></span></strong>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5049075559556128892.post-30214719003205224792008-08-29T09:56:00.000-07:002008-08-29T10:55:30.736-07:00Introduction to Educational Management<span style="font-size:180%;color:#000066;"><strong>Unit One</strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;color:#000000;"><span style="color:#660000;"><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Introduction</span></strong><br /></span>In this first unit we introduce some theoretical perspectives on management and examine a number of key management concepts and principles. We believe that a deeper understanding of the nature of educational manage­ment will enable you to improve your practice as a school manager.<br /><br />Individual study time: 3 hours 30 minutes<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Learning outcomes</span></strong><br />After working through this unit you should be able to:<br />· discuss the contribution which management theory can make to understanding management practice<br />· explain the meaning of the terms: management, organisation, administration, supervision, and leadership in education<br />· understand how to apply knowledge, skills and attitudes in educational management to enable more effective and efficient planning of resources for use in your school, organising and co‑ordinating of school programmes, projects and activities, and directing, controlling and evaluating of the teaching and learning processes in school.<br /><br /><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Concepts of management in education</strong><br /></span>Management can mean different things to different people at different times, and a variety of definitions have been offered. The term 'management' itself, derives from the verb 'to manage', which can mean:<br /><br />• to handle<br />• to control<br />• to make and keep submissive<br />• to organise<br />• to alter by manipulation</span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;color:#000000;">• to carry out for a purpose.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;color:#000000;"><strong>Activity 1.1</strong><br />1) Give an example of how you manage your school in the way suggested by each of the above meanings.<br />2) Which of these meanings most closely matches the way you manage your school?<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;color:#000000;"><strong>Comments</strong><br />Some of the meanings given above appear almost offensive. Do you really, as a head, make and keep your staff and pupils submissive? These terms suggest to us a variety of styles of management, some of which will be more acceptable and productive than others. Another way people talk of management is to describe it as an art, a science, an organisation, a person, a discipline, or a process. Let us consider each of these in turn.<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;color:#000000;"><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Management as an art</span></strong><br />As an art, management is about carrying out organisational functions and tasks through people. This art involves the application of techniques in:<br />· human and public relations<br />· the delegation of an authority: assigning and sharing responsibilities and duties<br />· communication: including decision making and problem solving<br />· managing change.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Management as a science</span></strong><br />Management here is concerned with establishing a philosophy, laws, theo­ries, principles, processes and practices which can be applied in various situations, including schools.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Management as an organisation</span></strong><br />As an organisation, management is about creating formal structures and an establishment based on a mission (or goals), objectives, targets, functions and tasks. For example, social and welfare organisations in government management can refer to education and health services, whilst public security management services could refer to the police and military.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Management as a person<br /></span></strong>Managements may be seen as a person or a group of people. For example, a teacher could say 'The school management has changed the timetable in the middle of the term'. This could be referring to you, as the head alone, or to all the senior staff, or it could refer to the members of the board of governors (if the school has one) or school committee. In schools with several promoted staff a 'Senior Leadership Team' might be formed in much the same way as a govern­ment has a cabinet of ministers.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Management as a discipline</span></strong><br />In this sense, management is a field of study with various subjects and topics. Knowledge, skills and attitudes in management can be acquired through learning, from experience and from certificated courses.<br /><br />Management is a collection of processes, including such things as decision making, problem solving action‑planning and evaluating. These processes involve the management of resources including human, material, financial and time. These processes are also known as the functions of managers.<br /><br /><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>The functions of managers</strong></span><br />We will briefly examine five main functions of managers, namely: planning, organising, directing, supervising and evaluating. These may be seen to form a management cycle as shown in below.<br /><br />A cycle of management functions<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Planning</span></strong><br />If you have studied Module 1, Self‑Development for Educational Leaders, you will have learned that the first action of a school leader is to identify the mission of the school and to set the objectives. The head will then need to identify different strategies by which to achieve the agreed mission and objectives. Through the planning process the head aims to manage an efficient and an effective school. Efficient means using minimum resources to get maximum results on time. Effective means to achieve the set of objectives. The third part of the planning stage is thus to decide on an appropriate strategy<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Organising</span></strong><br />Organising involves putting in order of priority and preference the resources which are available. An Action Plan is needed in which actions and activities are scheduled. In order to give the plan 'teeth', targets are set. These targets should be quite easily attainable within a short period of time.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Directing</span></strong><br />The manager needs to direct the implementation of the plan. He or she should provide leadership by delegating duties and responsibilities to staff, and by motivating them. The directing process also involves co‑ordinating and controlling the supply and use of resources.<br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;"><br />Supervising</span></strong><br />The manager will need to supervise the work which is being done, ensuring that activities are carried out in line with agreed standards, and taking steps to correct problems.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Evaluating</span></strong><br />The final part of the management cycle is to assess the results and compare them with the set targets and objectives. The performance of all the staff including the managers should be assessed. The feedback is needed in the adjustment of future plans.<br />How useful do you find these views of management? Reflect on the processes followed in your school, noting down strengths and weaknesses in your management practice.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;color:#000000;"><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Comments</span></strong><br />We hope that you are now beginning to have a better understanding of the nature of management and the range of processes you undertake in your role as manager. We will be commenting on management role and functions later in this unit and again in Unit 3, 'The Functions of School Management', when we will encourage a more detailed diagnosis of school management functions. But first, let us look further at management theory and principles.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Principles of educational management</span></strong><br />A principle is a generally accepted truth, which is based on experience and the available information. The following are principles which are generally used to describe management generally:<br /><br />¨ Everyone in the organisation takes a share of the work.<br />¨ Authority is given to groups and individuals to carry out tasks.<br />¨ Individuals and groups will take responsibility for their actions.<br />¨ Individuals and groups will be held accountable for their actions.<br />¨ There will be individuals who will take responsibility for command and direction.<br />¨ Organisations will have a chain of command and direction.<br />¨ Staff are paid for their efforts.<br />¨ Individual interest gives in to general interest.<br />¨ There will be equity within the organisation.<br />¨ Tenure of personnel will be stable.<br />¨ Efforts will be coordinated and planned.<br />¨ Everyone should be aware of the goals and objectives<br /><br />Are these principles relevant in managing education in Guyana today? Look at current practices in your school. Can you think of examples for some of the above principles of management?<br /><br />Two principles popularly practised are:<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Chain of command</span></strong><br />This means the optimum number of colleagues reporting to the same supervisor. It is often suggested that this number should be between five to eight; one person cannot effectively supervise above this supposed limit, and some delegation may be appropriate.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Co‑ordination</span></strong><br />This principle highlights that effective organisational performance is achieved when all persons and resources are synchronised, and given directions. This implies deliberate planned action towards the achievement of specific goals or policy objectives.<br /></span><br /></span><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Comments</span></strong><br />You may have noted the principle of division of work. The idea of speciali­sation in all kinds of work, both management and technical, is widely upheld. For example, in primary education, we all have a responsibility to provide quality education for the pupil. Our roles at different levels as a teacher, school head, school inspector, REDO, are indeed based on this principle of division of work. Within your school there will be some clear divisions of work and it is not uncommon to find educational organisations structured into:<br /><br />¨ policy formulation units: to make and regulate policies<br />¨ planning/ development units: to translate policy into action ‑ policy to goals and objectives in relation to resources<br />¨ implementation of policy units<br />¨ evaluation and monitoring units. (e.g. MERD Unit MOE)<br /><br />So it will be seen that there is some universality in these principles of management. However, some writers consider that the special characteris­tics of educational organisations imply caution in too readily applying management models or practices drawn from non‑educational settings. Let us look further at the idea of schools as organisations.<br /><br /><strong>Activity 1.2</strong><br />Draw the organisational structure and supervisory establishment chart for your school starting with the Headteacher and ending with the position of the pupil. Preparing the chart should assist you in understanding the nature of your school as an organization. If this chart already exists, ensure that it is completely up to date and accurate.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">The school as an organisation</span></strong><br /><br /><strong>Activity 1.2</strong><br />Draw the organisational structure and supervisory establishment chart for your school starting with the Headteacher and ending with the position of the pupil. Preparing the chart should assist you in understanding the nature of your school as an organization. If this chart already exists, ensure that it is completely up to date and accurate.<br /><br /><strong>Comments</strong><br />A manager works for and is part of an organisation. Educational institutions are organisations. Your school is an organisation.<br /><br />The word organisation comes from the word organ, and organs are living things. Your eye is an organ; so is your ear, mouth, heart, kidney, liver and many others. All these organs have specific work to do. A healthy living body has all its organs working properly. A healthy society has all its organisations working well in relation to one another. Societies set up organisations to do specific work. An organisation is thus the result of the grouping of work and the allocation of duties, responsibilities and authority to achieve specific goals In the management of education, it is important that the school head understands that a school as an organisation has a specific purpose.<br /><br />We can summarise some important organisation concepts in terms of the following:<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Mission and objectives of the organisation<br /></span></strong><br /><strong>Functions of the organisation:</strong> What the organisation is supposed to do in order to achieve the goals.<br /><br /><strong>Responsibilities and duties:</strong> People in various positions in the organisation have to carry these out. These responsibilities and duties are worked out from the functions: responsibilities would include broad statements of the job; whereas duties are the day‑to‑day jobs arising from the responsibilities.<br /><br /><strong>Tasks:</strong> These are specific activities within a duty.<br /><br /><strong>Standards:</strong> These describe the amount and the quality of products from the organisation.<br /><br /><strong>Targets:</strong> These are the amount and quality of products which an organisation wishes to give out over a given time. For example, a school which can enrol 105 pupils in Grade 1 can hope to have at least 90 of those pupils completing seven years of primary education. Targets are now becoming much more focused on educational outputs e.g. the number of children achieving a certain predetermined standard at a particular age,<br /><br />You will come across many more terms about management and organisations during the course of this module, but we hope by now that you are beginning to appreciate how an understanding of the key concepts and principles of management may help you to improve your performance as a school manager.<br /><br />As the summary of the concept of organisation highlights, a starting point for examining whether a school 'works properly' is to clarify its purpose as an organisation. Typical organisations have the following aspects clearly stated and understood by all the people in them and those who have interest in them:<br /><br />¨ title of the organisation: its name, logo or symbol or emblem or badge or trade mark, motto, location and address<br />¨ the mission statement and objectives of the organisation<br />¨ functions of the organisation<br />¨ expected results, products or outcomes<br /><br /><strong>Activity 1.3</strong><br />State the following about your school: name, motto, logo; current mission statement and objectives; its functions; its philosophy; its expected and actual results for the last three years. If your school has none of these, it is maybe time you initiated them. These are all MOE requirements for schools in Guyana.<br /><br /><strong>Comments</strong><br />Efficient and effective schools are strongly guided by their vision and mission statement. An efficient school head uses the minimum number of people, mate­rials, machines, equipment, money and time to get maximum results. Efficiency in management is important because there will nearly always be an inadequate supply of resources for any job.<br /><br />An effective head is able to produce expected results in a school. Factors used in judging an effective school include:<br /><br />¨ excellent achievement by many pupils in examinations<br />¨ excellent progress by all pupils judged against the baseline assessment and based ability<br />¨ excellent performance in games, sports, athletics, drama, debates, music festivals, etc.<br />¨ well behaved pupils<br />¨ the success of past pupils.<br />¨ the school as a learning community<br />¨ excellent relationship among teachers, parents and pupils<br />¨ parents’ readiness to participate in school activities<br /><br />Your management practice can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your school. We will be examining the concept of school effectiveness and the head's contribution towards this at a number of points in these Modules, particularly Module 6, Monitoring School Effectiveness.<br /><br /><strong>Activity 1.4</strong><br />There are many different types of organisations. Note down some of the similarities and differences between a school, a hospital, a bank, in terms of the organisation concepts discussed earlier. What might be the implications of these for management practice?<br /><br /><strong>Comments</strong><br />You may have noticed in comparing a school to a hospital that they are both service organisations, albeit with different client groups. Schools serve healthy people to change their behaviour. Hospitals serve unhealthy people to become healthy. Other organisations like banks aim to make a profit as they serve people. Some private and commercial schools also operate like banks. Other distinctive characteristics of educational management concern the objectives, which may be hard to define, and the fact that outcomes are rather difficult to measure. Another point relates to the time available for managerial activities, a point which may become clearer when we look at the role of the head.<br /><br /><strong>The role of the head</strong><br />As a school head, you fulfil a number of important roles. Your role ulti­mately involves changing the behaviour and attitude of each pupil. It is recognised that you get this job done through other people. This is the management role, and the key focus of this unit so far has been to explore the nature of the management practices which make up this role.<br /><br /><strong>Note down some other major roles which might describe the way a school head undertakes his or her job.<br /></strong><br /><strong>Comments</strong><br />The roles you noted might have included the following:<br /><br />¨ Leadership<br />¨ visionary<br />¨ supervising<br />¨ pastoral care<br />¨ change agent.<br />¨ administrative<br />¨ team builder<br /><br />We will be commenting on many of the functions associated with these various roles subsequently in this module. Here we attempt some clarifica­tions of the leadership and administrative roles to conclude this introduc­tory unit.<br /><br /><strong>Leadership, Management and Administration<br />Pause for a moment and consider what you think to be the difference between Leadership, Management and Administration.</strong><br /><br />Leadership is the principal role of the Headteacher. It is not just a simple question of he / she leads and others follow. The Head is a facilitator to ensure that all within the school are agreed upon and follow common goals. He / she verbalises the vision for the school and ensures that all within it work together as a team to achieve it.<br /><br />Some people use management to mean administration. However, management in an organisation involves planning, designing, initiating actions, monitoring activities and demanding results on the basis of allo­cated resources. It is policy making, policy control and monitoring.<br /><br />Administration on the other hand involves implementation of the policies, procedures, rules and regulations as set up by the management.<br /><br />A school head will only play the role of an administrator in the implementation of policies on education within Guyana. However, at this point we must offer a word of caution.<br /><br />As stated above, the principle role of the Headteacher is the Leader of the School, often referred to as “the lead professional”. This involves being proactive in its development and the vision for its future, as well as ensuring quality and results for the pupils it serves.<br /><br />It is common for Headteachers to play the role of Administrator, becoming too involved in procedures, regulations and bureaucracy. This is a dangerous approach as it will stifle creativity, slow down progress and become an excuse for the failure to develop the school.<br /><br />To test the extent that you, as Headteacher, may have fallen into this mode of working, ask yourself the following questions?<br /><br />¨ Do I spend more time in my office than walking the school?<br />¨ Do I always respond to every administrative task as it appears?<br />¨ Do I pride myself on keeping a tidy desk?<br />¨ Do I fail to advise teachers because I have paperwork to do?<br />¨ Do I fail to observe lessons, comment on them and suggest further development because day to day matters get in the way?<br />¨ Do I fail to get feedback from teachers, pupils and parents?<br /><br />If you are answering “yes” to any of these questions, then you need seriously to consider your work practices.<br /><br />Policies, paperwork, reports and records as such will not improve standards. Monitoring, evaluation, development, support and praise for staff in a supportive atmosphere of “working together” will have an impact on school development and ultimately results.<br /><br />However, this does not mean that policy and administrative tasks can be neglected. It is a matter of creating a balance. To that extent, you will need, for example, to be familiar with educational policy state­ments in Guyana, such as:<br /><br />· the language and numeracy policies<br />· policy statements on educational personnel matters and provision of education service as stated in the education laws<br />· policy statements on education by Ministry of Education Officers, especially those on the code of conduct for pupils and for teachers and curriculum development, implementation and evaluation<br />· five policy areas of education<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Supervision and leadership</span></strong><br />In addition to the leadership, managerial and administrative roles, the head also has a super­visory role. S(he) is responsible for quality within the school and this is achieved by a thorough monitoring and evaluation programme which involves the assessment of the work of others, evaluating performance and acting upon the information gathered to make further developments.<br /><br />Consider the two distinct roles of leader and supervisor and how you would use each to implement strategies to improve results in Grade 7 mathematics which have been declining or several years.<br /><br /><strong>Comments</strong><br />Leadership: This involves the use of authority, power and influence in the process of managing resources at work to produce results.<br /><br /><strong>Supervision:</strong> This involves being able to do the job oneself, showing others how to do it, checking that the job is well done and taking appropriate action when it is not.<br />Remember that an effective supervisor explains what is to be done, who is expected to do it, how it should be done, when it is to be done and the consequences of a job well done. On the other hand, an effective leader sets the targets and the standards. Success or failure in doing the job is measured against the set targets and standards.<br /><br /><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Summary</strong></span><br />In this unit we have introduced different perspectives on educational leadership, highlighting key concepts, principles and processes of leadership, management, supervision and administration. We hope that you have been able to relate the discussion so far to your own experience as a school head and that you have started to reflect on your role and functions as a leader and manager.<br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5049075559556128892.post-80298652981789918742008-08-29T09:55:00.000-07:002008-08-29T11:04:13.568-07:00Government Organisation and Functions<strong><span style="font-size:180%;color:#000099;">Unit 2</span></strong><br /><br />In Unit 1 you were introduced to the concept of the school as an organisation. In this unit, we will look at the government as another type of organisation and how this is likely to affect the quality of leadership in your school. The unit should also enable you to relate the application of the general principles of management to the running of public affairs in Guyana.<br /><br />Individual study time: 2 hours<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Learning outcomes<br /></span></strong>After working through this unit you should be able to:<br />· relate your responsibilities and duties to the functions of the central government ministries and organisations responsible for education and training<br />· advise teachers on their roles, responsibilities and duties in relation to functions of government<br />· promote responsible citizenship based on your understanding of the legislative, administrative and judicial provisions in your country<br />· abide by the laws of the land while discharging your official executive duties.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">What is government?</span></strong><br />A government is the part of the organisation of a state which has powers to legislate, that is to make laws. The purpose of a government is to promote and propagate justice for all the citizens of a country for the public good.<br /><br />The legal framework of a government is the constitution of the country. A constitution describes all the constituent parts of the government, their composition and their powers and functions. It also states and guarantees the fundamental rights and freedoms of each individual.<br /><br /><br />It is important that you should realise that as headteacher you have a local role in determining the quality of governance in your country. Consider what this role might be?<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Comments</strong><br />You may help to determine the quality of government locally through voting, but also as a community leader. Although some people maintain that the social position of the head in the local community has diminished in recent years, this depends on the view heads have of themselves and what they can, and perhaps should, contribute to the wider community. You should be able to think of many cases of heads who have done this, and usually you will also find that their schools are recognised as good. By involving staff and pupils in the management of your school you Will be demonstrating in a practical way how (on a smaller scale) democracy may work.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">Unitary and federal systems of government<br /></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Decentralisation</span></strong><br />Three different types of decentralisation may be recognised:<br /><br />¨ Deconcentration The dispersion of authority to branch offices, for example, the payment of teachers' salaries at district level.<br /><br />¨ Devolution: Powers transferred by law to sub‑national bodies, for example, tax raising powers given to regions.<br /><br />¨ Delegation: Central powers 'lent' to local authorities (but readily revoked without legislation), for example, regional education offices responsible for the opening of new schools.<br />In unitary systems of government, the central authority has all the principal powers of the state. The decentralisation of functions to regions may be done through deconcentration, devolution and delegation from the central authority.<br /><br />In federal systems of government, provinces or states have powers delegated by the constitution. The United States of America is an example of this.<br /><br />With increased demands for democracy, for people to take more deci­sions on matters affecting their lives, many unitary systems of government are increasing levels of decentralisation of some powers and functions to the administrative regions, districts and local authorities and also to schools.<br /><br /><strong>Activity 2.1</strong><br />(1) Do we have a federal or unitary system of government in Guyana?<br />(2) Give three examples of how authority has been decentralised in Guyana.<br /><br /><strong>Comments<br /></strong>Guyana has a unitary system of government and is going through the process of decentralisation with much authority placed in the hands of the Regional Democratic Councils. However, educational policy is still created by the central Ministry of Education. In many countries, governments still maintain quite tight central control over most aspects of education. However, in Guyana, there are considerable moves to provide more local management and authority to schools.<br /><br />The Ministry of Education in Guyana has gone through a process of decentralisation which will demand that regions will be accountable for the decisions they make which affect the quality of education.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">The arms of government</span></strong><br />Many countries have three main arms of government. In management, this is a principle involving the separation of powers. The three arms are:<br /><br />¨ the Legislature<br />¨ the Judiciary<br />¨ the Executive.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">The Legislature</span></strong><br />Parliament is made up of the President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the National Assembly. Elected, and maybe also nominated, Members of Parliament who belong to various political parties constitute the National Assembly.<br /><br />Subject to the provisions of the Constitution, Parliament has the power to make laws for the peace, order, liberty and good governance of the country. Its main functions are:<br /><br />¨ legislation and formulation of policies<br />¨ control of the public budget and expenditure<br />¨ control of the executive<br />¨ representation of the people on matters of national concern<br /><br />The Speaker presides over meetings of the National Assembly. The Speaker is elected from among persons who are members of the National Assembly, excluding the President, The Prime Minister, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, and the Attorney‑General. The Speaker is an ex‑officio member of the National Assembly.<br /><br />The Principal Administrative Officer of the National Assembly is the Clerk to the National Assembly. He is responsible for the management of the staff of the National Assembly, its finances, and all other matters relating to the operation of the National Assembly.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">The Judiciary</span></strong><br />The judicial arm of government settles disputes which arise out of the laws made by the Legislature. When such laws are administered by the Executive, disagreements inevitably occur, which need to be settled by an independent body, the Judiciary. This should ensure that justice prevails. Laws are intended to guide and regulate the behaviour of individuals in society for their own common good, and to serve individual interests without fear or favour. Justice is administered in courts of law where civil and criminal cases are heard before a judge or magistrate and with lawyers arguing for each side: the prosecution and the defence.<br /><br />The Chief Justice and other senior judges are appointed by the President on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission. Once appointed, it is not easy to remove a judge. The security of tenure for the office of the judge is stated in the constitution. The Chief Justice is the head of the Judiciary.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Types of dispute</span></strong><br />Civil disputes between individuals and the state may be settled through the courts according to the provisions of the law. The individual is protected against the excesses of government through the arbitrary action of govern­ment officials. Civil disputes may also occur between individuals.<br /><br />In criminal cases, the state prosecutes a person for an alleged crime. The sentence for those found guilty is within the discretion of the court.<br /><br />Thus the Judiciary acts as the guardian of the constitution in both civil and criminal matters. The Judiciary makes sure that the action of the offi­cials of the Executive are in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. Thus it is that Acts of Parliament are seen to be constitutional in both word and deed.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Judges</span></strong><br />Independence of the Judiciary is ensured through the security of tenure of judges. Salaries for judges are a permanent charge on the Consolidated Fund (Treasury) and are not subject to debate by Parliament in the National Assembly, except where the salaries of judges as a professional body are to be reviewed. “Sub judice” cases, that is cases which are before the court, are not subject to discussion outside courts. Questions and debates in the National Assembly concerning cases in court are not allowed by the standing orders. Like Members of Parliament in the National Assembly, judges in the courts enjoy special privileges and cannot be sued for anything they do while offi­cially discharging their duties. Any judge or magistrate can decide a case without any fear of recrimination for the decision made in a court of law. Decisions made by judges are legally binding and cannot be criticised in public. Such decisions can be reviewed, however, in a superior court of law on appeal by the aggrieved parties. People may be tried and convicted for contempt of court when they are found accused of discussing “sub judice” cases outside the law courts.<br /><br />Module 7, The Governance of Schools, also touches on the relationship between schools and the law.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">The Executive</span></strong><br />The executive arm of the government administers and enforces the laws which are enacted by the National Assembly.<br />The Executive consists of:<br />¨ the President, who is the Head of State and Government; the Commander‑in‑Chief of all the Armed Forces<br />¨ the Prime Minister<br />¨ Ministers and Deputy Ministers: all these are members of the National Assembly<br />¨ all public servants.<br /><br />Headteachers and teachers in Guyana are employed by the Teachers' Service Commission. In any case, all civil servants, judges, teachers, doctors, who are employed by the government and its agencies are public servants.<br /><br />Some of the important bodies in the Executive include:<br /><br />¨ the Cabinet and Government Ministries including Finance and Education<br />¨ the Office of the Attorney‑General<br />¨ the Public Service<br />¨ Regional Democratic Councils<br />¨ government agencies and state corporations<br />¨ non‑ministerial departments<br />¨ Please note that the Audit Department is an autonomous body<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">The Cabinet</span></strong><br />The Cabinet consist of the President, the Prime Minister, Ministers and the Attorney‑General. The function of the Cabinet is to assist and advise the President on matters pertaining to the running of the country. The Cabinet considers and formulates the entire government policy. In the Cabinet, the principle of collective responsibility to the National Assembly is empha­sised. All things done by or under the authority of the President, the Prime Minister or any other Minister in execution of their office may be regarded as the best joint effort of the government. The members of the Cabinet are expected to act together as a team and speak with one voice.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">The Attorney General</span></strong><br />The Attorney General is an ex‑officio member of the National Assembly. He or she is the principal legal adviser to the government and is a member of the Cabinet with ministerial status. All the legal needs of government ministries and departments are provided by the Attorney General's chambers. The security of tenure of the office of the Attorney General is provided for in the Constitution. The head of a government school may have the representation of the Attorney‑General in all legal matters of an official nature.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">The Public Service<br /></span></strong>The Public Service is made up of the civil service, the regional authorities and the government agencies. The Public Service Commission is the personnel agency of the government, involved, for example in all recruit­ment and disciplinary matters.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">City and Town Councils</span></strong><br />Georgetown is governed and administered by the Georgetown City Council. Other towns in the country, such as Linden, New Amsterdam, Anna Regina and others have Town Councils which fulfil the dame functions as the City Council but on a smaller scale. Local councillors are elected to these Councils.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Regional Democratic Councils</span></strong><br />These are the democratic bodies outside of the City of Georgetown and the main towns. They exist mainly in rural areas and are composed of elected councillors, who are expected to control and administer local government areas.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Government Agencies</span></strong><br />These agencies are state corporations which are established through Acts of Parliament in pursuance of government policy. The corpo­rations are manned by non‑civil servants but are in close co‑operation with and under the supervision of the parent government ministries.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Ministries</span></strong><br />The civil service is divided into ministries and depart­ments. Each of these is responsible for some particular aspect of government activity.<br />The political head of the government ministry is the Minister, who is constitutionally and politically responsible and accountable to the National Assembly for its operation. The Minister is responsible for the general policy, direction, and control of the ministry.<br /><br />The Permanent Secretary is the administrative head of the ministry. S(he) is the chief executive, accounting officer, and the authorising officer in a ministry for all operational and administrative functions. Beneath the Permanent Secretary there are Deputies who provide professional advisory services to the Permanent Secretary and to the Minister, as well as administer their fields of responsibility.<br /><br />There are many different types of ministries, which may be broadly categorised into:<br /><br />¨ Government policy co‑ordination ministries: These are primarily concerned with the formulation of high level policy and co‑ordination of func­tions and operations of other government ministries and departments. These ministries include: the Office of the President, the Office of the Prime Minister, the Treasury, the Ministry of Planning and National Development, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Administration.<br /><br />¨ The service and welfare ministries: These include Education, Sport and Culture, Health, Public Works, Agriculture, etc.<br /><br />The structure of a government ministry varies in matters of detail but generally, in most ministries, below the Permanent Secretary, there are one or more professional or technical divisions dealing with specialised areas. For example, there are administrative divisions to deal with Finance, Accounts, Supply Services, Personnel Matters, Planning and Development, Research and Evaluation.<br /><br />In the Ministry of Education in Guyana, there is a Chief Education Officer (CEO) who has overall responsibility for the delivery of education, standards and quality in the Guyanese Education system. There are Deputy Chief Education Officers (DCEOs) with specific responsibilities such as administration, monitoring and evaluation and development. In a third layer, there are the Assistant Chief Education Officers (ACEOs) who have a much more focused responsibility such as the different levels of education (primary, secondary etc), inspection and curriculum support. In Guyana, the latter is mainly provided by the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD), a semi-autonomous arm of the Ministry of Education.<br /><br />Within each ministry there will be ministerial management committees which are convened as and when required, for example:<br /><br />· a Consultative Committee chaired by the Minister<br />· a Management Committee chaired by the Permanent Secretary<br />· an Advisory Committee and Tender Board chaired by the Deputy Permanent Secretary<br />· a Training Committee<br />· Directorate Management Committees for each of the various professional/ technical groups.<br /><br />All these committees exist to ensure the effective management of a govern­ment ministry. Task Forces and ad hoc committees may also be set up to look into specific problems and issues.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Guyana Ministry of Education</span></strong><br />Decentralization in the Ministry of Education, as well as three other Ministries began in 1980’s. This system of government involved the division of the country into ten Administrative Regions as it pursued a democratic process of national development. It was believed that more involvement and greater development would take place at the Regional level when the state discharges some of the responsibilities to these bodies.<br />This process met with varying levels of success over the years as roles and functions of central Ministry and the Regional system became clearer.<br /><br />Responsibility of the Ministry of Education:<br />1) National Education Strategic Planning.<br />2) Policy formulation and development.<br />3) Resource Mobilization.<br />4) Providing centralized services such as teacher training and development, school inspection, curriculum development, text / exercise books, school feeding, administration of examination and reporting, setting of Academic and Non Academic Standards.<br />5) Monitoring, Evaluating, Reporting and Development of the entire education delivery process.<br /><br />The actual implementation of the education programme in geographical Guyana is the responsibility of the ten (10) Regional Democratic Councils, (Georgetown is a special educational district that is presently directly managed by the MOE). This is evident since each region has its own education budget and is responsible for education, staffing and infrastructure. Indeed, the education departments in the regions are not accountable to the MOE but to the RDCs, which in turn reports to the Ministry of Local Government.<br /><br />The MOE understands that education delivery is very complex involving many variables. However, we believe that much greater value can be gained if school leadership improves, that is, if all the factors which impact on school leadership are improved.<br /><br />This required:<br /><br />¨ Improved planning, monitoring and evaluating at the central level.<br />¨ Clear delineation of the responsibilities of the regional and national authorities.<br />¨ Better supervision of the schools system by the Regional Education Departments<br />¨ Development and implementation of education plans, programmes and projects.<br />¨ Designing education sector plans and strategy; and overseeing its implementation.<br />¨ Widespread stakeholder participation at the regional, sub-regional and school levels.<br />¨ Efficient day to day management of the school as an education unit.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">The Political Head</span></strong><br />The Minister of Education heads the MOE which has responsibility for establishing national education policy and the national curriculum for all administrative regions in the country. He has the authority over the educational system subject to Parliament and Cabinet. In addition, the MOE monitors education progress in all regions, and funds and distributes textbooks to all schools. MOE has its own budget, which is funded by allocation in the central government budget. The Teaching Service Commission is a semi-autonomous Government body not under the administrative control of the MOE, and is responsible for promotion, transfer, hiring, disciplining and dismissing of tenured teachers, throughout the country. Some schools are governed by School Boards which have similar functions to the T.S.C.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">The Administrative Head<br /></span></strong>The Permanent Secretary is the Administrative Head of MOE who facilitates the efficient management of the MOE; acts as Advisor / Assistant to the Minister of Education in the formulation of policies and the preparation of Ministry’s annual work plan / programme, budget, annual report and provides responses to parliamentary question and motions. (S)he is assisted by two Deputy Permanent Secretaries (Finance and Admin), a Human Resource Manager and the Chief Planning Officer.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">The Professional Head</span></strong><br />The Chief Education Officer is the head of the professional arm of the Ministry of Education. Reporting to this officer are three (3) deputies: DCEO Policy Implementation and Monitoring unit, DCEO Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Development Unit, and DCEO (Technical Vocation Education and Training) and four (4) Assistant Chief Education Officers, three of whom have responsibilities for Monitoring Policy Implementation at the Nursery, Primary and Secondary Levels and a fourth, who is attached to the MERD Unit.<br /><br /><strong>Activity 2.2</strong><br />Either obtain an organisation chart for the Ministry of Education or, from the information provided above, draw one of your own. Indicate clearly your position on the chart as Headteacher and the lines of communication between you and the Minister.<br /><br />In addition, four other officers: Director NCERD, Principal CPCE, Human Resource Manager and DPS (Admin) make up the Education Systems Committee (ESC). This committee has the overall responsibility for managing the entire education delivery process. This committee meets on average twice per month..<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Summary</span></strong><br />In all systems of government all ministries and departments are under political direction. In democratic systems, where the party in power has been chosen by popular vote in a public election held in free competition with other parties, Acts of Parliament and other statutes provide the rules which define how the education system is to be organised and managed. All public servants are accountable for their work, to Parliament and to the party in power.<br /><br />The executive, judicial and legislative arms of government each provide a different balance in the operation of political power and its application to the government of our country. Thus, in theory, public servants including school heads should not be afraid of direct interference in the day‑to‑day management of their schools. In reality, a school head must be prepared to accommodate some political influence in the manner in which he or she manages the affairs of the school. This is an important point to bear in mind when considering school management functions, the topic of the next unit, UnitUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5049075559556128892.post-53658528360583721122008-08-29T09:50:00.000-07:002008-08-29T12:49:39.980-07:00The Functions of School Management<span style="font-size:180%;color:#000099;"><strong>Unit 3</strong></span><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Introduction</span></strong><br />In this unit, we will look at some of the management functions which you have as a school head, building on concepts introduced in Unit 1.<br /><br />We look first at a case study on School Mismanagement Fever. We differ­entiate between the functions of planning, organising, directing, supervising and evaluating in a school, and we see how they relate to each other and how together they describe the role of the school manager, or head. Lastly, we consider some indicators of effective school management.<br /><br />Individual study time: 3 hours<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Learning outcomes</span></strong><br />After working through this unit you should be able to:<br />· differentiate between the main functions of the head of a school and identify some of the tasks associated with each function<br />· describe some of the inter‑relationships between these functions<br />· identify the key indicators of effective school heads.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Case study</span></strong><br />The head of a disorganised school which has considerable problems and is very disorganised is asking for help.<br /><br />The school is no longer supported by its Board of Governors. It has an inadequate number of teachers; the pupil drop‑out rate is high; the results in public examinations are poor; the buildings, equipment and materials are inade­quate and poorly maintained; the grounds are untidy and the morale of those connected with the school is low.<br /><br />But the main lesson from the case study which is being emphasised is that, if as a head you are ASKing for help either to prevent further difficulties or to solve existing problems, you are miles ahead of those who do not recognise that they have a problem at all!<br /><br />Clearly, you appreciate your role as manager of an organisation, which exists to provide the pupils with useful knowledge, skills and attitudes for responsible and successful living. To be a successful head you will need to acquire managerial Attitudes = A, Skills = S and Knowledge = K for running your school. Thus school managers who are seeking to find a cure for School Mismanagement Fever must recognise the need to ASK, that is, to involve others in developing solutions, but must also recognise the three key components: Attitudes, Skills and Knowledge, which they need to acquire. Maybe your S.M. Fever can be traced to a specific managerial issue which interferes with the processes of instruction and learning in the school, but, more likely, there are very many issues about which you are concerned. The successful school head is someone who is able to handle a range of problems or issues, at one time.<br /><br /><strong>Activity 3.1</strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">A school management diagnosis</span></strong><br />Let us examine or diagnose, by means of a checklist, how well you are doing as a school manager. Complete the school management diagnosis checklist in below by ticking “YES” or “NO”<br /><br />Indicate which of the following you have worked on, within the last school year, in your school. In each case you should be able to explain to someone what has been done.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">PLANNING<br /></span></strong>1) Translating national education policies into school‑based teaching and learning objectives and targets.<br />2) Planning both the long‑term acquisition of relevant teaching and learning resources (including finances).<br />3) Preparing school syllabuses, schemes of work, timetables and schedules of activities.<br />4) Preparing schedules for meetings of the Heads of Departments, Level Heads, Parents Teacher Association, staff, etc.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">ORGANISING</span></strong><br />1) Preparing up‑to‑date job descriptions for all employed staff, and assigning roles, responsibilities and duties to staff and pupils.<br />2) Arranging for the appointment of new staff and the selection and appointment of all staff and students holding responsibility posts.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">COMMUNICATION</span></strong><br />1) Inducting new teachers, pupils and parents.<br />2) Communicating regularly and fully, by the most appropriate means, to all those with an interest in the school, about school programmes and activities<br />3) Holding formal and informal discussions with individuals and groups, including staff and students, and those outside the school, about all aspects of school life.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">MONITORING AND SUPERVISION</span></strong><br />1) Ensuring that classes are held, and that pupils' work is marked and assessed<br />2) Monitoring standards of learning and teaching in the classroom<br />3) Checking the schemes of work and lesson plans of the teachers.<br />4) Ensuring attendance and punctuality of both staff and pupils.<br />5) Conducting a full and fair appraisal of all staff, including observations, discussions and in written reports.<br />6) Taking stock and physically checking the resources and equipment of the school<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">EVALUATING</span></strong><br />1) Preparing the Annual Report of the school.<br />2) Analysing examinations results and making recommendations for raising standards<br />3) Reviewing the performance of all aspects of the school<br />4) Setting new targets for individuals, departments and the school.<br />5) Presenting financial statements and reports to the appropriate authority<br /><br /><strong>Comments</strong><br />If your 'Yes' scores exceed 15 / 20, you are doing well.<br /><br />However, if your 'No' scores exceed 10/20, then you will need to consider seriously your role as a school head and take appropriate steps to develop your skills.<br /><br />The list indicates the five main management functions of school heads: planning, organising, directing, monitoring and supervision and evaluating all aspects of school life. Although they occur in sequence, in fact each function is a continuous process. As the list shows each may be broken down into several tasks.<br /><br />Thus the work of a head is both complex and never complete!<br /><br />The modules presented in this series for the training and support of school heads should guide you in improving your management capabilities.<br /><br />Relating leadership functionsThe functions and tasks identified in the checklist may be put in the form of a flow chart.<br /><br /><strong>Plan</strong><br />Involve all stakeholders, especially Teachers, Parents, Pupils<br />Translation of national education policies into school level programmes, projects and activities<br /><br /><strong>Organise</strong><br />Yourself, Teachers and other staff, Parents<br />Teaching and learning activities<br /><br /><strong>Direct</strong><br />Yourself, Teachers and other staff,<br />Parents and Community<br />Communicate, discuss, motivate for support and active participation in the teaching and learning activities organised by the school<br /><br /><strong>Monitor</strong><br />yourself and others to achieve set standards in the quality of teaching and learning, using role models, exemplary behaviour and peer group support for setting targets to be achieved by individuals and groups in the school<br /><br /><strong>Evaluate</strong><br />The results of the monitoring of learning and teaching to inform development in the process at each stage<br /><br /><strong>Activity 3.2<br /></strong>Take one of the main areas of life in your school, such as the curriculum. Use the diagram from Unit 1 in which we presented the five main functions or processes of school heads within a management cycle and demonstrate through specific examples, how you, in your school, undertake tasks within each function in relation to the curriculum.<br /><br /><strong>Comments</strong><br />This is not an easy activity to undertake as the range of tasks you have identified is probably quite large, but you should have gained a clearer idea as to how every task which you undertake as a school head in the various areas of operation may be analysed and described in terms of the broad functions which make up the management cycle. Moreover as noted in Unit 1, although presented cyclically, management processes inter‑relate. The flow chart depicted in Fig 4 highlights these relations. It is important that you become analytical about your job, so that you can make sure you are doing the right things, for the right reason, in the right way, and at the right time.<br /><br />In examining the flow chart you probably thought 'How can I, as a school head, manage to plan, organise, direct, monitor, supervise and evaluate programmes, projects and activities in my school. The answer to this question lies in the application of the principles of:<br />¨ physical, programme, project and financial (budgeting) planning<br />¨ human and public relations<br />¨ communication and negotiation techniques<br />¨ delegation of authority, functions, responsibilities, duties and tasks<br />¨ decision making and problem solving<br />¨ management of change in relation to the operations in a school, through action planning.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">School heads - Chief executives or lead professionals?</span></strong><br />The central role of the school head is to manage the teaching and learning which determine the quality of education. Your attention is therefore drawn to current concerns for building the capacity in educational leadership at three levels:<br /><br />¨ in the delivery of education in schools<br />¨ in policy implementation through regional education offices<br />¨ in strategic policy development within the Ministry of Education, the entire government, non‑governmental organisations (NGOs) and international agencies.<br /><br />These concerns focus on the school as a social institution ‑ an agency through which the educational needs of the youth can be met. A school therefore is a means to an end and not the end in itself. This is reflected in the various roles the head performs. We introduced a number of these in Unit 1, for example, leadership, supervisory, managerial and administrative roles. Some people make a useful distinction between the head as the Chief Executive (CE) and the head as the Lead Professional (LP).<br /><br /><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Chief Executive role examples</strong></span><br />Examples of activities which illustrate the role of the head as Chief Executive are given below.<br />¨ setting out the mission and objectives of the school<br />¨ allocating duties to staff<br />¨ co‑ordinating and supervising staff activities<br />¨ evaluating school performance<br />¨ establishing working relationships between the Regional Education Office and the staff.<br />¨ ex officio member of the governing board (where there is one – only certain schools in Guyana)<br /><br />Consider some of the activities which you undertake as a school head in your Lead Professional role.<br /><br /><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Lead Professional role examples</strong></span><br />Check which of the following items you listed:<br />• personal teaching<br />• professional guidance to teachers as individuals and in the development of school programmes<br />• counselling pupils and parents on ethics, norms and values of the school<br />• spokesperson for the whole school on all educational matters<br />• participation in subject panels, curriculum development and other external professional activities<br />Most jobs, not just that of a school head, involve different, maybe conflicting roles. Achieving a balance between them is very important. The school head who does not, or perhaps cannot, provide professional leadership will not be a credible person in the eyes of his or her staff. Yet a school head who fails in the role of Chief Executive perhaps should have stayed in the classroom.<br /><br /><strong>Activity 3.3</strong><br />Make a list of all the tasks you carry out as head of your school in a typical week. Beside each task indicate whether it is your Chief Executive Role with CE in brackets or whether it is your Leading Professional Role with LP in the brackets. Which role, CE or LP, has the largest number of tasks in your week? Are there any other tasks which you feel do not fit into either of these categories?<br /><br /><strong>Comments</strong><br />In your list of CE tasks you might have included 'signing purchase orders. In the LP the tasks might have included 'teaching Mathematics in Grade 4.’ You may have found separating some tasks between these roles quite difficult. For example, when you are chairing meetings, such as a staff meeting, you have both a Chief Executive and a Lead Professional role. The two roles both support and conflict with each other. Some countries have decided to separate the role totally and provide two separate people for these posts. Achieving a balance is important, and yet is quite difficult. What is important is that you realise their existence and work to improve your skills at carrying them out effectively.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Indicators of an effective school head</span></strong><br />In Module 6, Monitoring School Effectiveness, we will be considering how we may evaluate the effectiveness of a school. Here let us consider how we might determine whether or not a school head is an effective leader.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">An effective head demonstrates</span></strong><br /><strong>Professional competence</strong><br />¨ has wide-ranging and up-to-date knowledge and skills, including the ability to initiate, direct, communicate and delegate<br /><strong>Good relations and a concern for teamwork</strong><br />¨ has good relations with pupils, staff and parents<br />¨ works for the development of the school through teamwork<br />¨ communications within the school are clear and on time<br /><strong>Leadership</strong><br />¨ Creates confidence and inspires others<br />¨ Effectively evaluates the qualities and contributions of staff<br />¨ Can take difficult decisions<br /><br /><strong>Activity 3.3</strong><br />The list of items in above might be used to determine whether or not a school head is an effective school leader.<br /><br /><strong>Do you agree with the three items listed here?<br />Can you think of anything else to add to each area?<br />Can you think of any other categories?</strong><br /><br /><strong>Comments</strong><br />The three items included here provide some essential characteristics of effec­tiveness with regard to the work done by a school head. Notice that the list is not about an effective school, nor is it concerned with describing the detailed tasks of a school manager, such as planning the curriculum. We will come back to these again in Module 6. Not only do we need to explain what effectiveness is, but also what effectiveness is not. In the same way as we apply grades to the work done by pupils, so we should be able to describe the work of the school head as excellent, good, fair or below expectation, as appropriate, by using descriptive criteria such as you have just attempted to write.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Summary</span></strong><br />In this unit we have looked at the main elements in school leadership. This has involved identifying the five main functions of a school head: plan­ning, organising, directing, monitoring and evaluating, and some of the tasks associated with each function. We have drawn distinctions between school heads as Chief Executives and as Lead Professionals. Lastly we have identified how indicators may be written up to produce criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of a school head. One item concerned human relations, which is the focus of our next unit.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5049075559556128892.post-10722293484662168382008-08-29T09:49:00.000-07:002008-09-02T13:03:13.490-07:00Human and Public Relations<strong><em><span style="font-size:180%;color:#000066;">Unit 4</span></em></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Introduction</span></strong><br />As a headteacher who is responsible for a large number of people you will almost certainly agree that it is important for you to understand something about the behaviour of the people in your school organisation. The human factor in schools may cause problems and failure, or may lead to success, depending on the behaviour of the teachers, pupils, parents and all the other members of the school community. Apart from the nature and availability of the material and financial resources that are provided, the success of a school will also depend on:<br />¨ the level of training of the teachers<br />¨ the relations between the teachers and the head<br />¨ the relations between the teachers themselves<br />¨ the relations between the pupils and the teachers<br />¨ the relations between the school and the surrounding community.<br /><br />In this unit you will study the relations between people and how this affects their work. From this you should understand how these relations affect the nature and quality of management in our educational institutions.<br /><br />Individual study time: 3 hours<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Learning outcomes</span></strong><br />After working through this unit you should be able to:<br />¨ understand the importance of good human relations and communications in providing a suitable working environment for the teachers, pupils and non‑teaching staff<br />¨ improve the motivation of the teachers and the pupils so as to ensure the success of the school<br />¨ establish and maintain good working relations with the educational authorities<br />¨ gain the support of the community in which the school is situated.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">What are human relations?</span></strong><br />We all belong to human society. In everyday life we live and work with people: they may be our family members or neighbours or friends or other relatives, or they may be people we work with in our places of employment. Whoever they are, we recognise their presence and relate to them through various means of communication.<br /><br />We may say that human relations is being together with other people and interacting with them.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Human relations in a working place</span></strong><br />As a head of a school your work will involve the following:<br /><br />¨ planning the activities of the school<br />¨ organising the resources to be used, which includes getting the equipment and materials required; assigning work to each member of staff, agreeing how it should be done and when it should be done and ensuring that the work is done<br />¨ maintaining high standards of education in your school.<br /><br /><strong>Activity 4.1</strong><br />You may wish to explore the following questions by yourself, or, perhaps with some other trainees or colleagues informally in a group.<br />(1) Would the work listed above be for you alone as the head, or would other people also be involved?<br />(2) In what ways would other people be involved in each of these aspects of your work? What has this to do with human relations?<br />(3) Why is an understanding of human relations important to the head of any institution?<br /><br /><strong>Comments</strong><br />In every working place each person must be given his or her duties. The school head organises the programme for the school. He or she carries out the monitoring necessary to ensure that the programme is followed. Each teacher prepares a scheme of work, lesson plans and assessment records for their class. In addition some of the teachers may be in charge of out of class activities. At the end of each school term progress reports are prepared for the pupils. If the head does not produce the school timetable in good time, teaching may be delayed at the beginning of the term. The syllabuses may not be covered sufficiently. If the teachers do not prepare their schemes and lesson plans, the pupils may not be taught properly. When this happens, it is the responsibility of the head. He or she must organise it. If the subject teacher delays in preparing assessments for his or her subject, the class teacher will be late in completing the end of term assessments. Then, parents will not be informed of pupil progress.<br /><br />In the working place therefore, we need to recognise that what others do affects our own work and our work affects what they do. This is because all the different tasks in an organisation are inter‑related, and the individ­uals in the organisation have a working relationship. Ensuring that everyone works in an agreed fashion is essential if all the staff are to work together harmoniously and effectively.<br /><br />What do we know about the techniques of forming human relations? You will know that when two people meet and establish either friendly or working relations, the three stages listed below are involved.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Exploration phase</span></strong><br />This involves seeking clues and information for forming opinions and impressions about each other. In schools, this phase should be planned, detailed and extensive. Learn about yourself and the people you work with.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Consolidation phase</span></strong><br />First impressions can be deceptive due to misleading information. Repeated behaviour patterns help in gauging levels of frankness, openness, truthful­ness, reliability, credibility and integrity of a person. You may find it helpful to keep records on the behaviour of pupils and staff to help you understand them.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Preservation phase</span></strong><br />This is the stage of mutual understanding based on trust and acceptance of each other's good and bad points, weaknesses and strengths.<br /><br /><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Human relations and motivation</strong></span><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Staff motivation</span></strong><br /><br /><strong>Activity 4.2</strong><br />The list below includes a number of items which are factors which might affect the quality of performance of the teachers in a school.<br /><br />Read through the list, and then place the ten items in rank order with the most important factor 1, the second 2, and so on. The factor which you consider as least important will have a rank of 10.<br /><br />The performance of teachers in a school will be improved if:<br /><br />¨ they are given an increase in salary<br />¨ they have a feeling of job security<br />¨ they are supplied with all the basic resources required to teach<br />¨ the head regularly consults with them<br />¨ their work is appreciated<br />¨ quality monitoring and supervision takes place<br />¨ there are opportunities for promotion and personal development<br />¨ they are paid on time<br />¨ they are given advice to improve the quality of their teaching<br />¨ they receive sympathetic help with problems<br /><br /><br /><strong>Comments</strong><br />The way you have ranked these questions is likely to depend, to a large extent, upon the culture and the context within which you live and work. Experts on management have observed that people in their place of work like to:<br /><br />¨ feel that their work is regarded as important ‑ they do not like to be idle<br />¨ be praised for what they have done, but not to be blamed ‑ they fear to admit mistakes in public<br />¨ are given good advice as a result of monitoring and evaluation of their work<br />¨ know what their managers think about their work ‑ they feel encouraged when their own knowledge of the subject is appreciated<br />¨ be consulted when there are changes to be made in their organisation<br />¨ have a leader who is able to listen and to welcome suggestions<br />¨ sympathise with personal problems and give advice; show justice in dealing with problems concerning relations between staff; give respect to all workers, whether in low or high positions in the organisation; say<br />¨ 'Thank you' when good work is done and also to admit mistakes<br />¨ feel secure in their job ‑ nobody wants to work in a place where they feel they are not wanted, or where they are threatened with dismissal<br />¨ feel that they are appreciated by their fellow workers<br /><br />Whether these factors are the ones which motivate your teachers in your school in your country would be very interesting to find out. What is impor­tant is that you realise the range and diversity of things which motivate people. Even a small thing like greeting your staff and pupils in a way which is generally accepted may make a difference.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Case study</span></strong><br />Please read the following case study:<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">The absentee teacher</span></strong><br />A primary school teacher, has come to the school head to ask for permission to be away for three days. Her nanny has left suddenly and she has nobody at home to look after her three month old baby. She wants to go to look for someone else to look after her child.<br /><br />The school is already short of teachers. The Head tells her that looking for a nanny does not concern the school. She should make other arrangements to get one without affecting her work. He reminds her that the District Education Officer may visit the school any time during that week. He does not want any class to be found without a teacher. He refuses to give her permission. But the following morning the teacher does not come to work.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Activity 4.3</span></strong><br />What is your comment on the following case? Consider:<br />1) Should the teacher be disciplined for being absent without permission?<br />2) What effect might this have on the motivation of the other staff who have children?<br />3) What actions would you take in this situation to maintain the motivation of your teachers?<br /><br /><strong>Comments</strong><br />A difficult case, and there is unlikely to be a right answer, but you will prob­ably<br />have noted that this example is an illustration of poor human relations and you may have suggested the need for improved communications and focused on the importance of working together and shared responsibilities.<br /><br />The role of head is a difficult one. On the one hand s(he) must put the school first but must also recognise that to get the best out of people we must be sympathetic to their problems. Perhaps there were compromises that could have been made in this case. Maybe the child could have been brought to school for a day. Maybe she only needed one day to search for a nanny.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Pupil motivation</span></strong><br />Like their teachers, the pupils in a school also need to be motivated.<br /><br />Pause for a moment and think what steps might be taken to help motivate pupils.<br /><br />Pupils are unlikely to be motivated unless:<br />¨ they are assured of care and protection in the school<br />¨ their problems are treated with understanding and justice<br />¨ the teachers show patience and are sincere in guiding them<br />¨ their efforts in class and in other school activities are appreciated by the teachers and the head<br />¨ their parents have a chance to see what they are doing in school.<br />¨ They can see the progress they are making and understand the reasons why they are doing what they are asked to do.<br /><br />We could add other items to this list, but the important point to recognise is that it includes a wide range of factors. An understanding of the nature of motivation suggests that for learning to take place, pupils' basic needs, physiological, safety, love and belonging, must be met, as well as their need for self‑esteem and self‑fulfilment. School heads and teachers can try to ensure that external and situational factors both in and outside the class­room will stimulate their pupils to learn.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Human relations and communications</span></strong><br />We will now examine the relationship between communication and human relations. Communication in an organisation is like the nervous system in the human body. If anything interferes with a nerve line it is no longer possible to co‑ordinate the work of the affected part with the rest of the body. Similarly, if anything interferes with the communication links between individuals in an organisation their work will be badly affected. Decisions will not be taken at the right time. Work will not be done as required. It may not even be done at all if the instructions are not communicated. Or, it may be done incorrectly, if the instructions are poorly communicated or received. Good communication is both about sending and receiving information. Good relations between sender and receiver will help ensure effective communication. Let us explore this relationship further.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Activity 4.4</span></strong><br />1) Prepare a list of the different ways in which you, as a school head, might communicate with your teachers and pupils.<br />2) What affects the way you communicate with individual teachers and groups of teachers? How might this be improved?<br />3) Have you noticed that at times certain members of your staff do not seem to be talking to one another? How might this affect your work as a head? What can you do to help in solving this problem?<br /><br /><strong>Comments<br /></strong>You are likely to have listed a wide range of patterns and methods of communication from meetings and loudspeaker systems through to personal one‑to‑one discussions. It may well be that some of these could be improved. You may need to check whether communications are actually getting through and consider changing your communication strategy if problems exist with current practice. We will be looking at communication and the communication process in further depth in Unit 6.<br /><br />In this context, it is worth noting that many things can interfere with communication between individuals in a working place. One of these is the attitude that some people may hold against other workmates. If people we are working with know that we hold negative attitudes towards them, they will not communicate freely with us. They may even withhold certain information that is very important for carrying out a task; perhaps, for some reason, they want us to fail. It is important therefore that heads never hold a negative attitude towards their staff; or if they do, that they do not reveal it! Instead he or she should create a working environment in which all the staff are free to consult one another. Good communications and good human relations go hand‑in‑hand. This is also the case with regard to the relationship between the school and the external community.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">The head as a public relations officer<br /></span></strong>A public relations officer is the spokesperson for an organisation. He or she provides information to the public on what the organisation is doing and also listens to comments by members of the public about the organisation. If these comments suggest that some justified improvements are needed, then action should be taken to bring about the required changes.<br /><br />A school is part of the community in which it is situated. The members of the community in general and the parents in particular have an interest in the school because it provides education for their children. It is clear that the school head has an important role to play as a public relations officer to ensure that good relations are established between the school and the community, and with the education authorities. There are several ways of doing this.<br /><br />1) The head or his / her representative (e.g. Deputy Head or Senior Teacher) should be ready to meet parents and other members of the public who come to the school to obtain information about education.<br />2) The head and his or her staff should be able to organise functions and ceremonies to which parents are invited. Such functions might include, for example:<br />¨ Parents' Teachers' Association meetings<br />¨ Open Days in the school<br />¨ Speech and Prize Giving Days<br />¨ Sports Days.<br />3) The head and staff should be encouraged to participate in some community development activities within the neighbourhood of the school.<br />4) Good working relations with the authorities in the Ministry and Regional Education Department will help ensure that any problems the school head encounters may be listened to with greater sympathy and that any assistance requested will be readily forthcoming. This in turn will help with community relations.<br />5) Encourage social interaction like school visits / games etc.<br /><br /><strong>Activity 4.5</strong><br />1) Can you suggest other ways in which the school head can help improve relations with the community?<br />2) Taking your school as an example, list down any community activities in which pupils could usefully participate, noting potential benefits for pupils, the school and the community at large.<br />3) What factors tend to give a school a bad image in its local community?<br /><br /><strong>Comments</strong><br />You will probably have been able to suggest a number of other methods for improving relations with the community. Better communications are a popular option, and some schools even produce newsletters for wider dissemination of school ideas and information. Contributions by pupils can add a further level of interest. A point perhaps worth noting is that although the head is responsible for external relations, there is of course much that can be undertaken by delegating specific tasks to members of staff.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Summary</strong><br />This unit has looked at human relations in schools, drawing attention to motivational aspects and the significance of good communications. Attention has also been focused on the role of the head, staff and pupils in fostering good community relations.<br /><br />It is easy for the headteacher to put blame on all around him / her for poor relations. However, the fact is that it is his / her responsibility to foster good relationships. If staff are antagonistic towards each other or towards the head, s(he) must ensure that this situation must not be allowed to continue by working hard to bring the two sides closer together. If this is not done, the school will be dysfunctional. If it is dysfunctional, children will not learn, If children do not learn, it is a failing school. We will touch on these various processes in subsequent units and modules, but we now consider the process of delegation, which is an important means by which staff can be motivated and, if used correctly, human relations improved.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5049075559556128892.post-36499173175624522242008-08-29T09:48:00.000-07:002008-09-02T13:08:19.024-07:00Delegation in a School<span style="font-size:180%;color:#000099;"><strong>Unit 5</strong></span><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Introduction</span></strong><br />As a head, you are expected to manage the school through your own work, the work of other teachers, staff and even pupils. You may have heard of sayings like “Many heads are better than one”, “Many hands make light work”, etc. and certainly as a manager of a school you cannot achieve your goals and objectives if you do all the tasks alone. In other words, you cannot teach all the subjects in the school, head all the departments, be on duty every day of the week, deal with all the correspondence and discipline cases, be in charge of all the clubs and so on. You will need to use the talents of the teachers who work with you, not fearing that they will take over from you, but rather trusting them and having confidence in them. Moreover, making use of even the most critical or uncooperative members of your staff may result in their trusting you and feeling more motivated and needed. By doing the above you will actually be delegating responsibilities and duties to your teachers, and in this unit we will explore further the delegation process, considering its importance and the barriers to its effectiveness.<br /><br />Individual study time: 2 hours<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Learning outcomes</span></strong><br />After working through this unit you should be able to:<br />¨ understand the importance of delegation, and outline the key principles and procedures involved in delegation<br />¨ direct, support, develop and motivate the staff working in your school by giving them responsibilities, duties and tasks that are appropriate to their talents, abilities and capabilities<br />¨ build a team amongst your teachers through sharing the school workload by more effective delegation<br />¨ improve your own managerial performance by alleviating pressures in your time and improving the flow of work in school.<br /><br /><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>What is delegation?</strong></span><br />Delegation is a process by which managers, such as school heads, transfer part of their authority to their colleagues, for the performance of certain tasks and responsibilities. By assigning tasks to them to perform on your behalf, you can enable the decentralisation of authority or office functions, the sharing of duties/tasks within the school and the grouping of duties into departments with group heads for easier management. Since delegation can take place at all levels of management, department heads themselves may also become involved in delegation.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">The importance of delegation</span></strong><br /><br /><strong>Activity 5.1</strong><br />1) Think back over your work for the past few months and make a note of any tasks and responsibilities which you delegated to a colleague or which were delegated to you. Why did you do this?<br />2) List some of the factors to be taken into account to ensure effective delegation.<br /><br /><strong>Comments</strong><br />You will probably have given a variety of reasons for delegating the tasks you did, including such things as improving the flow of work and the management of your own time.<br /><br />There is in some ways a conflict. Often peoiple say “I can do it better myself” or “It will take too long to explain” or “I can do it faster myself”. This may be true but how will colleagues learn to do it as well and as quickly as you when they are not given the opportunity to practice thew skills?<br /><br />The following summary highlights the importance of delegation in schools:<br /><br />¨ In a school of 1,000 learners and 60 teachers the head cannot control every activity.<br />¨ There is a physical and mental limit to the workload capacity of any individual or group in authority.<br />¨ Delegation gives time to the head to concentrate on other important matters.<br />¨ It is a way of preparing your colleagues to handle higher and more challenging responsibilities in future, therefore a way of training and developing them.<br />¨ It creates confidence in your colleagues.<br />¨ It encourages co‑operation and team work and thus colleagues feel part and parcel of the successes or failures of the school.<br />¨ As a school grows more specialisation in leadership, management and teaching areas is necessary.<br /><br />Delegation is an act of trust and an expression of confidence of the leader in the colleague. It is one of the most important methods of creating and maintaining democracy in schools. What then are some of the factors which need to be taken into consideration to ensure effective delegation of tasks? They include:<br /><br />¨ delegating authority with responsibility ‑ remember you remain accountable for the responsibilities delegated<br />¨ delegated responsibilities must be clear, specific and effectively communicated<br />¨ delegating authority with enough responsibility.<br /><br />Determination of the right degree of delegation is part of the art of leadership. Effective delegation means delegating the right amount of authority and the right kind of duties. There will always be some tasks which should not be delegated at all. Let us summarise some of the key principles and procedures of delegation:<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Principles and procedures of delegation</span></strong><br />¨ Select the person to delegate to, on the basis of a sound knowledge of staff members in terms of their varying levels of competence, commitment and capability.<br />¨ The nature and scope of the work to be delegated must be clearly defined and be for the benefit of the organisation as a whole.<br />¨ Delegated tasks must be clearly described.<br />¨ The person to whom a task is assigned must be capable of carrying out the task or duty to the best of his/her ability and willing to take responsibility.<br />¨ Mutual co‑operation, understanding and faith between the manager and staff members is of the utmost importance to enable delegation to be successful.<br />¨ Some form of regular reporting to provide a means of progress control is required.<br />¨ Reward successful achievement of delegated tasks.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Barriers to effective delegation</span></strong><br />Some managers are reluctant to delegate. They may choose not to delegate tasks feeling that they can do better than anybody else. They may feel that it will take too long a time to explain to the colleague undertaking the assignment. Such feelings may be contributed by concerns such as:<br /><br /><strong>Insecurity:</strong> Where the leader is not ready to take chances/risks or fears that the colleague may let him down.<br /><br /><strong>Loss of power:</strong> If the colleague does the task very well or even better than the leader would have done it.<br /><br /><strong>Failure to plan ahead:</strong> This makes it difficult to decide which task to delegate and to whom and when.<br /><br />Some colleagues are reluctant to accept responsibility due to insecurity. They wish their bosses to make decisions for fear of being held responsible for any failure. They may also feel that they are not given enough incentives and are not given proper guidance and support by the manager. Adequate means of communication may not be available to the delegatee for consultation with the manager if necessary.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Are you a good delegator?</span></strong><br />A good delegator is one who stimulates and motivates colleagues to undertake duties and responsibilities delegated to them by:<br /><br />¨ clearly indicating the standard of performance expected, time limit and any other conditions involved<br />¨ giving the delegatee a chance to perform the given task without undue interference<br />¨ appreciating the efforts the delegatee has made, and assisting whenever assistance is needed<br />¨ learning to accept that some delegated duties may not be done as perfectly as they would by oneself<br />¨ making use of the mistakes made to develop rather than to ridicule and threaten the delegatee: however, the delegator should make sure that the mistakes made will not endanger the institution.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">How well do you stand up against these criteria?</span></strong><br /><br /><strong>Activity 5.2</strong><br />1) Refer back to your responses to the questions raised in Activity 5.1, and taking each delegation act in turn, try to draw up an account of how effective you were as a delegator. You could use the above criteria to judge your performance in each case of delegation.<br />2) Are there other tasks and responsibilities which you could be delegating?<br />3) Draw up a brief plan of action for improving your performance in delegation.<br /><br /><strong>Comments</strong><br />We hope you will have found the activity useful as a means of reviewing your own performance in delegation and encouraging you to consider how you may ensure more effective delegation in the future. There are of course many tasks which a school head can delegate. Equally, there will be some which cannot be delegated. Much will depend on the rules, regulations and practices which pertain in Guyana. However, in general, the school head can delegate almost all the tasks except:<br /><br />¨ finances: for example, authority to spend. However, the day to day work of accounting can be done by another and approved by the head.<br />¨ admission of new pupils into the school. Likewise the head must give final approval<br />¨ final decision making on policy issues and changes in the school<br />¨ assigning of duties to the Deputy Head and senior teachers<br />¨ final responsibility on examinations<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Summary</span></strong><br />In this unit we have examined the concept of delegation, the importance of delegation and some of the key principles of delegation. We have encour­aged you to consider how you might improve your own performance of this crucial leadership function, to enable you to build a team amongst teachers through the sharing of the workload of the school.<br /><br />Remember that” building teams” and “empowering them” is one of the key functions of a leader.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5049075559556128892.post-52888067681852667962008-08-29T09:47:00.000-07:002008-09-02T13:19:56.863-07:00Communication and Negotiation<span style="font-size:180%;color:#000099;"><strong>Unit 6</strong></span><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Introduction</span></strong><br />Communication is an essential part of leadership and in this unit we will consider the concept of communication and different types of communica­tion. We will also be looking at the importance of effective communications for staff meetings and negotiations.<br /><br />Individual study time: 2 hours<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Learning outcomes</span></strong><br />After working through this unit you should be able to:<br />¨ define the process of communication<br />¨ identify different types and methods of communication<br />¨ list the key characteristics of effective communication<br />¨ appreciate the importance of listening to teachers, pupils and parents for the purposes of rational decision making and problem solving in the school<br />¨ apply communication principles and practices to running affairs at the school, particularly with regard to staff meetings and negotiations.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Communication in schools</span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">Case study</span></strong><br /><br />Consider the following scenario:<br /><br />A deputy Headteacher in a primary school saw an advertisement in a national newspaper for school heads. Part of the job specification is given below.<br /><br /><strong>PERSON SPECIFICATION HEADTEACHER</strong><br /><br />An experienced, professionally trained and<br />qualified teacher with ten years teaching<br />experience, two of which must have been as a<br />Senior Master / Mistress, Head of Department or a<br />Deputy Head...<br /><br />¨ able to communicate effectively with all levels of school management and staff<br />¨ should have substantial experience and/or training in oral and written presentations with proven writing skills<br />¨ able to prepare school‑based reports, records and development proposals and to negotiate and sell new ideas<br />¨ able to cultivate and maintain good working relations with pupils, teachers, parents, education officials and the public<br />¨ should have skills in gathering, analysing and interpreting data and information on school matters<br />¨ should have proven integrity and credibility in handling school‑based resources especially school funds<br />¨ able to steer meetings for decision making and problem solving on school matters, etc.<br /><br /><br />What do you think this told the teacher about the job and the required skills?<br /><br /><strong>Comments</strong><br />The lesson to be learnt from this case study is the importance of the head having good communication techniques. In fact communication skills can be considered as essential for career development and growth ‑ as the diagram depicted below suggests!<br /><br />Achieving Headship Ladder to Headship<br /><br /><p>Ability to communicate<br />Ambition and drive<br />University Education</p><p>Making sound decisions<br />Self confidence<br />Good appearance</p><p><br />Creating teams<br />Capacity for hard work</p><p><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>What is communication?</strong></span><br />Communication is the process by which information is exchanged in order to initiate action or solve a problem. In a school, this may involve giving notices about activities, events, decisions and tasks which affect individuals or groups ‑ pupils, teachers, parents, non‑teaching staff, visitors to the school and others. It also suggests the sharing of opinions and ideas openly and freely, being mindful of other's views and encouraging individuals to seek for information and advice.<br /><br />Communication may be defined as the ability to express oneself through writing, through the spoken language and through body expressions in order to pass on a message and ensure<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">The process of communication</span></strong><br />This involves:<br /><br />¨ source of the message ‑ the sender: writer, speaker.<br />¨ format of the message and media for transmitting the message ‑ letter, memo, report, speech, chart, etc.<br />¨ time factor ‑ messages may take time to reach their destination<br />¨ receiver of the message ‑ seeing, hearing, feeling, imagining, etc. by the recipient: reader, listener.<br />¨ feedback ‑ acknowledgement from receiver to indicate that there has been total communication.<br /><br />At each of the steps in the communication process barriers occur, and prob­lems may arise with the interpretation of messages. These arise from differing perceptions of reality, and the influence of attitudes, opinions and emotions. Feedback serves to show up misinterpretations of the communi­cation. Negative reaction can result in the necessary corrective measures being taken.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Types of communication</span></strong><br />Communication can take place through:<br /><br />¨ speech, including loudspeaker systems, telephone, voicemail, cell phone, radio, TV, DVD etc<br />¨ written word including paper documents, books, fax, email, intranet, internet, instant messaging, texts or other visual displays or electronic devices<br />¨ body language, for example, non‑verbal forms, tone of voice, etc.<br /><br />In fact there are so many different ways of communicating in the 21st Century in Guyana that, not only is communication made easier for most of us, it is also open to much more misunderstanding and misinterpretation because we comprehend what people want to communicate to us through a variety of clues. Only face to face communication gives us all of those clues and is the most efficient and, even then, we often get it wrong!<br /><br />These may take place in different contexts, for example:<br /><br />Informal communication: by word of mouth or by telephone through, for example, get‑together parties, recess discussions, personal or confidential talk, gestures, personal impressions and the tone of voice used to reinforce communication.<br /><br />Formal communication: includes official circulars, internal memos, emails, letters and staff meetings.<br /><br />Consider the advantages and disadvantages of speech and writing as a means of communicating with staff and pupils in your school. To what extent do you use the various types of communication in different contexts in your school?</p><p><strong>Comments</strong><br />You will probably have included under a list of advantages of speech such things as speed of communication, the fact that it is more personal, and that it gives the opportunity for immediate feedback. You may have noted that writing has advantages in providing a record of the communication and enabling communication with a large number of people. Clearly, much will depend on the purposes of the communication, whether or not you want feedback and so on.</p><p><strong><span style="color:#660000;">The essentials of effective communication</span></strong><br /><br />Hints and guidelines for the school head<br />When communicating, that is, when passing on information or giving instructions or orders to the staff, the following guidelines should be taken into consideration:<br /><br />¨ know your objective: what do you want to achieve? (inform, praise, discipline, etc.)<br />¨ know the receiver: (for example, the underperforming teacher / learner) and the reason for the communication (for example, poor examination results)<br />¨ formulate your message: be clear, specific and understandable by using short sentences in simple English<br />¨ be brief: do not include unnecessary information<br />¨ do not under communicate: the message must cover questions such as why, who, what, when and where?<br />¨ consider how the message is best communicated: this can be just as essential as the content<br />¨ be aware: also of your attitude, behaviour, non‑verbal communication, gestures and facial expressions in delivering the message<br />¨ keep in mind: that positive feelings and emotions inspire positive attitudes amongst the staff and learners<br />¨ be yourself: show through the message that you respect the staff, trust and accept them, are interested in them and are willing to help and listen to them<br />¨ be enthusiastic: and inspirational in your communication<br />¨ listen carefully: an effective communicator must be a good listener<br />¨ make use of effective feedback: communication is a two‑way process so always ask questions to determine whether the message has been understood.<br /><span style="color:#660000;"><br /><strong>Effective communication and staff meetings</strong></span><br />Staff meetings provide means of communication between the head and teachers on matters concerning the running of the school. An essential feature of successful meetings is good communication. The school head who communicates effectively can create an environment of trust. This is very important so that the members of a school community can feel secure and confident enough to communicate freely and openly in staff meetings and other forums.<br /><br />Let us now examine some of the important practical things to remember about staff meetings.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Staff meeting notice</span></strong><br />This should show the date, time, venue and purpose/agenda of the meeting, who is to attend the meeting and the head's signature as the convenor.<br /><br />The notice should be sent out in good time before the meeting so that teachers can prepare information for items on the agenda. However, impromptu and emergency staff meetings can take place any time. Scheduled staff meetings should not interfere with normal teaching time.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Minutes of the meeting</span></strong><br />This is the brief record of things discussed, noted, adopted, agreed upon during the meeting. Some schools number items in the minutes of staff meetings for example, SM/2/09 means it was the second item discussed in 2009. Again, SM/52/09 means it was the 52nd item discussed in 2009.<br /><br />Minutes of staff meetings usually include:<br /><br />¨ title, date, time and venue of meeting<br />¨ attendance / absence with and without apology<br />¨ opening of the meeting / adoption of the agenda<br />¨ announcements<br />¨ confirmation and matters arising from previous meeting(s)<br />¨ new business / agenda<br />¨ any other business.</p><p><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Planning a staff meeting</span></strong><br />It is important that you plan your meetings in order to reach agreements, resolve problems, receive reports on actions undertaken and formulate plans for action. The following activity on planning a staff meeting should help you to appreciate the range of tasks which need to be undertaken in preparation for a meeting.<br /><br /><strong>Case study</strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Primary School staff meeting</span></strong><br />Important matters need to be discussed at the next staff meeting at this Primary School. The school head contemplates the list below and begins to prepare a staff meeting notice...<br /><br />¨ Cleaning of grounds and classrooms, especially as staff have been complaining of cleaning work poorly done.<br />¨ The staff tea fund is not managing and higher contributions may be neces­sary. At present membership is voluntary, but tea and coffee consumption is high.<br />¨ Use and control of the new photocopier.<br />¨ Results at the end of last year.<br />¨ Parents have complained at the cost of school uniforms. It would be possible to take advantage of a cheaper range of clothing offered by a large retail chain, but this would require some changes to the present school uniform.<br />¨ There have been errors in the register summary prepared each Friday..<br />¨ Ministry of Education promotion regulations, which were received and acted upon late last year, but which have not yet been discussed properly as there was little time.<br />¨ Exam results obtained by three staff members in their personal studies.<br />¨ Covering of pupils' exercise books.<br />¨ Secretary’s telephone answering techniques.<br />¨ Ways to improve English among the staff.<br />¨ Use of four additional covered parking bays which were completed over the holidays. (There are now 12 bays.)<br /><br />There will be matters carried forward from the last meeting.<br /><br />The school has 22 teachers. There is one secretary. There are three cleaners / ground staff / guard, one of whom has been at the school for 12 years and acts as Supervisor. The school runs no after school classes.<br /> </p><p><strong>Activity 6.1</strong><br />Prepare a staff meeting notice for this Primary School. You will need to draw up an agenda for the meeting, having put items in priority order and in categories. Give some indication of the time per item. Decide on attendance requirements. Set a time and date for the meeting.<br /><br />Decide which items need to be on an agenda for the whole staff and which can be dealt with in other ways.<br /><br /><strong>Comments</strong><br />You will perhaps have found it difficult to prioritise some of these items and ensure that the agenda was a true reflection of the items which warrant attention at this imaginary school. Do you find this in your own situation? It may be that some items do not need to be brought to the attention of a full meeting and can be dealt with on a one‑to‑one basis.<br /><br />Consultation with certain staff may well be appropriate in advance of the meeting, such prepa­ration can help avoid time‑wasting discussion during the meeting, and sensitise you to potential difficulties. This again highlights the importance of maintaining a good communication flow at all times in the school: effective communication can certainly help ensure more successful staff meetings and it is a key feature of negotiations, which we briefly explore in the last section of this unit.</p><p><br /><strong>Communication and negotiation</strong><br />Communications within a school or between a school and its local community unfortunately can, and sometimes do, break down. Careful negotiations can rectify the situation. Negotiation has been defined as back‑and‑forth communication designed to reach an agreement, when two sides have some common interests and other interests that are opposed.<br /><br />People involved in any negotiation process require:<br /><br />¨ up‑to‑date, accurate and reliable data and information<br />¨ proper and timely presentation of the data and information<br />¨ participation and involvement of the parties on issues which directly affect them<br />¨ opportunities allowing negotiating parties to present and argue their cases exhaustively<br />¨ possibilities for further consultations on doubtful data and information.<br /><br />In schools where negotiation takes place effectively, there is order, self­ discipline and responsible behaviour amongst pupils, teachers, parents and all members of the school community.<br /><br />Consider which steps you would take as school head to help ensure that there was<br />a supportive climate for management at all times? How do you think you might improve your success as a negotiator?</p><p><strong>Comments</strong><br />Many of the points made earlier in this unit concerning effective communi­cation are pertinent here, particularly comments about the importance of building trust and being a good listener. To summarise, to be an effective communicator and negotiator as a school head, you should remember the following:<br /><br />¨ See and talk to your pupils, teachers and parents often: make them aware of your positive attitudes and let them get to know you as a person.<br />¨ Establish a two‑way atmosphere of receiving as well as giving data and information to improve understanding and explain actions.<br />¨ Get your school community to talk to you and listen to them patiently and attentively: get to know them individually and in groups and be sure to praise when necessary.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong><br />The unit has looked at the communication process, noting the various types of communication used and the importance of good communications in a school. Attention has been focused on the need for the school head to be an effective communicator to enable more successful meetings and negotiation procedures as well as to be an effective leader. Leadership without good communication cannot exist. It is one of the first requirements.<br /><br />Remember at all times that the headteacher is first and foremost a leader!</p><p> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5049075559556128892.post-87176880649069795252008-08-29T09:43:00.000-07:002008-09-03T05:51:36.481-07:00Decision Making and Problem Solving<strong><span style="font-size:180%;color:#000099;">Unit 7</span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Introduction</span></strong><br />This unit focuses on two key management functions, introducing the concepts of decision making and problem solving in schools.<br /><br />Individual study time: 2 hours<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Learning outcomes</span></strong><br />After working through this unit you should be able to:<br /><br />¨ define decision making and problem solving<br />¨ list the major factors which contribute towards effective decision making<br />¨ state the importance of analysing data and information for the purposes of making sensible decisions<br />¨ involve pupils, teachers, parents and others in making decisions on matters which affect them<br />¨ outline steps that can help ensure that action is taken on decisions made in the school.<br /><br />School heads frequently find themselves in situations which require them to make decisions. They make decisions when they delegate work or responsi­bility to staff and when they communicate to superiors or colleagues at work. Decisions are made at all levels in order to solve problems and affect the achievement of the goals and objectives of the school. If decisions are not taken, a crisis situation may arise. Decision making and problem solving go hand in hand and both are of fundamental importance in all aspects of school management.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">Definitions</span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Decision making</span></strong><br />This is the process of identifying and selecting a course of action to be taken to solve a problem. It is a process through which human, material and finan­cial resources of an organisation are allocated or committed toward the achievement of intended goals and objectives. It can further be defined as the process through which information, ideas, objectives and knowledge are brought together for action.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Problem solving</span></strong><br />This involves the seeking of solutions to problems that arise in an organisation. The problem solving process leads to the formulation of decisions intended to resolve the recognised problems. The problem solving process contains six main elements:<br /><br />¨ recognising the problem<br />¨ analysing the problem<br />¨ working out alternative solutions<br />¨ choosing the best alternative<br />¨ implementing the chosen solution<br />¨ evaluating its effectiveness.<br /><br />Types and levels of decision making<br />Management writers often distinguish between two types of decisions. These are routine decisions and unique or innovative decisions.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Routine decisions</span></strong><br />These deal with operating procedures and are made through a thorough knowledge of rules, regulations and policies of the organisation. For example, when you decide on the weekly duty roster for teachers, this is fairly routine. In some manuals on the running of schools, heads are guided as to how to make routine decisions.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Unique decisions</span></strong><br />But what of unique or innovative decisions which go beyond established procedures?<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Activity 7.1<br /></strong>Prepare a brief list of the key areas for decision making in your school (for example, staffing, finance) and then see if you can recall an example of a routine decision which you have recently made in each area.<br /><br />Now think about any decisions which were in some way unique and note down their characteristics. These are those decisions that you will not need to make on a regular basis.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Comments</strong><br />When a head is required to make unique decisions, there are usually exceptional problems involved which require creativity and imagination to resolve. Unique decisions could also be referred to as non‑programmed decisions. They often take time to implement because various factors (for example, resources, training of personnel, production of support materials, etc.) may need to be taken into account in the implementation process. For example, a decision to renovate a school reading room to become the school resource centre for pupils and teachers is an innovative one.<br /><br /><br /><br />Consider who should be involved and why they should be involved in making a decision about renovating a school reading room to become the resource centre for pupils and teachers.<br />Views on this will vary and may reflect prevailing cultural and organisational contexts. Two points can be made here. Firstly, as a school head, you should recognise that there are several levels of decisions. For example:<br /><br /><strong>Policy decisions:</strong> These are made at higher levels of management such as the Ministry of Education or Regional Education Departments. These are decisions which govern matters such as the educational reforms for the whole of Guyana or region, new curriculum, training, employment and deployment of teachers, language policy, etc.<br /><br /><strong>Operational decisions:</strong> These are made at the school level by the head, pupils and parents. You implement policy decisions within the framework of your school.<br /><br />A second point concerns the extent to which participation in decision making is desirable. We will look at this in the next sub‑section.<br /><br /><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Decision making in the school context</strong></span><br />Within the school there are many factors which can contribute to effective decision making by the school head.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Activity 7.2</strong><br />1) Refer back to your responses on Activity 7.1 and make a few notes on the extent to which members of your staff take part in decision making in these various areas.<br />2) Prepare a list of those factors which you believe can adversely affect decision making.<br />3) What in your view is good decision making practice?<br /><br /><br /><strong>Comments</strong><br />Decision making can involve varying degrees of participation and much will depend on the nature of the decision area, your own leadership style and people's willingness to participate. Arguments in favour of greater participation include the sense of 'ownership' by those who are involved in implementing decisions and the possible reduction of conflict.<br /><br />Decision making can be influenced by a range of organisational, political and personal dimensions. For example:<br />¨ the role of the head, the teachers and the non‑teaching staff in the school<br />¨ individual behaviours, personality and style can affect the process of decision making<br />¨ the role of education departments and parents: what decisions can they make and how do these affect the head's decisions?<br /><br /><br /><br />Amongst the characteristics of effective decisions are that they are necessary and timely, and appropriate to the task and situation to hand. They need also to be realisable, clearly communicated to those who have to implement them and acceptable. The last point can be problematic and the school head may need to invest considerable effort in persuading staff of the desirability of the decision. Good decisions ideally need to meet a variety of competing needs ‑ the head's own needs, the staff's, the task and the situation. The possibility for conflict is always around.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Activity 7.3</strong><br />Identify two decisions you yourself made during the last two weeks. Outline stages you followed to reach the decisions.<br />What steps might you take to improve your decision making?<br /><br />A parent has informed you that her daughter is expecting a baby and one of the older students is suspected to be responsible for the pregnancy. How do you go about solving this problem?<br /><br /><br /><strong>Comments</strong><br />You may have found it difficult to present your decision making process in terms of the rational stages of problem solving suggested earlier in this unit, that is, from 'recognising the problem' to 'evaluating the effectiveness of your decision'. Decisions are rarely entirely rational because of the many complex variables concerned. The mini‑case in the activity highlights this.<br /><br />Decisions in the school which affect people's life and welfare require extensive gathering of data and information. The case requires extensive consultations concerning regulations on the discipline of pupils and the extent to which a school should be concerned about a matter that occurred outside of school time. Attention will need to be given to social and cultural roles, the parents’ wishes, the two pupils and the head, and to reconciling a range of different perceptions as to what are appropriate and acceptable decisions to make about the problem.<br /><br />Remember, no decision is final. All decisions are subject to continuous review in order to solve problems in life.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Summary</span></strong><br /><br />In this unit we have examined the nature of decision making in schools, noting its relationship to problem solving. A number of characteristics of effective decision making have been identified, including the importance of adopting a rational problem solving process and the significance of participation in decision making to help reduce conflict and improve the implementation of decisions.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5049075559556128892.post-59324350420476020142008-08-29T09:42:00.000-07:002008-09-03T06:14:58.177-07:00The Management of Change<strong><span style="font-size:180%;color:#000099;">Unit 8</span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Introduction<br /></span></strong>A head of a school today faces many challenges. These derive from a range of sources including the constant agenda to raise the level of attainment of children, the admission of children from diverse cultural, economic and social backgrounds; increasing levels of undisciplined pupils, poorly motivated teachers; the introduction of government policies, procedures and practices; and so forth.<br /><br />Changes indeed call for extensive patience, emotional stability, self-restraint and control by all members in a school environment ‑ pupils, teachers, non‑teaching staff, parents, Government officials and communities at large. This unit looks at some aspects of this process of change and exam­ines how you can improve the management of change in your school.<br /><br />Individual study time: 2 hours 30 minutes<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Learning outcomes</span></strong><br />After working through this unit you should be able to:<br />· outline the range of changes in government policies, procedures and practices, with which schools are involved<br />· describe the nature of the change process and identify the key manage­ment functions and tasks associated with effective implementation of change in schools<br />· provide support and advice for teachers on accepting changes in education to minimise resistance<br />· promote acceptance and compliance to changes arising out of national policies and practices.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">What is change?</span></strong><br />In the introduction to this unit we noted a range of sources or pressures for change and the sorts of changes occurring. These include: changes in admis­sion, curriculum, language policies, structural reforms and the technology of education. It is clear that changes can either be imposed on a school from outside or initiated within the school. However, whatever the source of changes, many writers have noted the responses to change. For example:<br /><br />¨ 'Old attitudes die hard'<br />¨ 'Tough times never last but tough people do' (Robert Schultz)<br />¨ 'When the going gets tough, the tough get going'.<br />¨ ‘Why break what is not broken?’<br /><br />Think for a moment on what you understand by change? Do you think that response to change is often characterised by the above quotations?<br /><br /><br /><strong>Comments</strong><br />It is likely that you will have described change using some of the following terms:<br /><br />¨ transfer from old to new position<br />¨ transformation of old form to new form<br />¨ displacement from one place to another place<br />¨ substitution of one item with another one<br />¨ alteration of something<br />¨ promotion /demotion in rank / transfer<br />¨ separation / division / loss of parts from a whole<br />¨ evolution / growth of living things<br />¨ shifting of alliance / allegiance, loyalty and control.<br /><br /><br /><br />The key point is that change means alteration from 'what was yesterday' to ‘what it is today' and that is almost always uncomfortable. A change can be tempo­rary where it is possible to reverse to the old position or form. A change can be permanent when it is not possible to reverse to the old position or form, for example, the ageing process of a living thing is an irreversible process, as is the passing of time. Change which takes place in education is often a planned and deliberate attempt to bring about improvement ‑ this is called innovation. The school head has a key role to play in the management of change and innovation.<br /><br />It is recognised that there is a great need for change in Guyana at the moment. There are many developments that need to be embraced in order to provide the high quality of learning and teaching and standards generally that students in Guyana deserve. This will mean that the headteacher must be at the forefront of these innovations, leading them, managing them, evaluating their success and adjusting them to meet current needs,<br /><br />This is no easy task for the head who must be totally committed to providing the best quality of education for the children in his / her care. A headteacher who does not rise to the challenge is potentially damaging the chances of hundreds of children, lives and families.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Sources of power</span></strong><br />You may remember from Unit 1 that leadership was described as getting things done through people. In order to bring about change the school head may need to pay particular attention to mobilising commitment to change amongst staff in order to ensure successful implementation. He or she also has access to various sources of power which can be used to influence the direction of change within the school.<br /><br />Consider the sources of power which are available to you in your role as school head.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Comments</strong><br />There are many sources of power and most are available to a school head. Unfortunately, many headteachers do not realise the power they possess. The ones who run successful schools are those who have accepted the power and used it to good affect without any form of abuse. The last statement is very important. Power is often abused and this will have a negative affect on the institution, often causing it to fail. Heads must share power but maintain the “last say”.<br /><br /><br />Some of these sources of power are listed below:<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Expert power<br /></span></strong>This derives from special knowledge about education and culture which others may need and do not possess. Respect for, as well as need for this knowledge, can create compliance to change requirements.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Role power</span></strong><br />The role of head has rank, status and reputation. These can have a powerful influence on pupils, teachers, parents and the community. However, this is not automatic and must be earned by your credibility in the role.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Reward power</span></strong><br />The head can reward teachers and pupils for their efforts. This need not always involve money. Praise, recognition, acknowledgement, thanks, showing appreciation are all forms of reward. It can also be financially by recommending them for promotion.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Connection power</span></strong><br />This derives from a head's access and network member­ship upwards, downwards and sideways anywhere in Guyana.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Coercive power</span></strong><br />Remember that Guyana is a democratic society and you must apply this with care. It is often used to create fear by use of threats or punishment. Used wisely and with severe caution, there may be times when this is necessary but all other avenues should be explored first.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Overcoming resistance to change</span></strong><br />There is no doubt that, as a head, you will encounter resistance to change, sometimes from those very people who are in high positions who you feel ought to be supporting you most, such as your deputy head or senior staff.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Activity 8.1</strong><br />The statements below represent some conservative positions which individuals often take in organisations. How often have you heard such statements made in staff meetings? How do you handle them?<br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="color:#006600;"><strong>"Organisational change is like pulling up your plants to see how the roots are coming along."</strong></span></div><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="color:#33cc00;">Nothing will ever change around here<br />This requires extensive and thorough analysis<br />You can't teach old dogs new tricks<br />If only I had time<br />Things are changing so<br />fast that if we buy one now it will soon be out of date<br />I have never stood in the way of progress but……<br />We tried that years ago<br />and it didn't work.<br />Plus ça change, plus<br />c'est la même chose.<br />A lot of change is just for the sake of change.</span></div><br /><br /><br />Your ability to handle resistance to change will depend on your awareness of the sources of that resistance. Sources of resistance to change include:<br /><br />¨ fear of the unknown<br />¨ lack of information<br />¨ misinformation<br />¨ threats to core skills and competence<br />¨ threat to status<br />¨ threat to power base<br />¨ no perceived benefits<br />¨ low trust organisational climate<br />¨ poor relationships<br />¨ fear of failure<br />¨ fear of looking stupid<br />¨ reluctance to experiment<br />¨ custom bound<br />¨ reluctance to let go<br />¨ strong peer group norms especially amongst teachers and pupils.<br /><br />If you study this list carefully, you will realise that the resistance to change formulation can be rather an over‑simplification of the reasons why change is not always successful. Whilst there may well be some teachers who will always resist change, the school head can try to ensure that resistance does not develop in the first place or if it does that it is minimal. This can be done by adopting appropriate implementation strategies and ensuring good communications and support for implementation at all times.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Role of the head in the management of change</span></strong><br />As a school head, you are expected to be influencing results arising from changes instead of waiting to survive the effects and consequences of change. You are expected to manage change. Managing change and making it 'stick' is a process involving the following important features:<br /><br />¨ Recognise the need to change ‑ starting with yourself.<br />¨ Diagnose current reality by taking stock of 'Where we are today and where we would like to be tomorrow after the changes?'<br />¨ Convince others of the need for change and the benefits to the children and the staff.<br />¨ Mobilise commitment to the change amongst those who will be affected by the change in your school. This is best done by involving them in the change process – the planning etc.<br />¨ Draw up plans to get there by taking decisions as to appropriate courses of action, implementing plans, monitoring results and giving feedback to the major actors and beneficiaries involved.<br /><br />Managing change essentially means taking control of and shaping the direc­tion by influencing in some way the outcome of changes. This involves planning to take action on change.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Planning and implementing change</span></strong><br />Your ability to plan for action, to use power and to influence people effec­tively to bring about change derives from your role as a Lead Professional and the Chief Executive in the school. You are in a vantage point or high position! You will need to know and understand your school and your role as change agent. This will involve data collection, reflection and analysis, vision and concept‑building, formulating a strategy for action, imple­menting action and monitoring outcomes.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Data collection</span></strong><br />This can be formal or informal. Often the latter will tell you more. So you will understand the need to have a good professional relationship with all your staff. You could consider…<br /><br />¨ walking around the school more often<br />¨ talking ‘with’ and not ‘to’ people<br />¨ asking for information and opinions about what would improve the school<br />¨ initiating a formal questionnaire asking for opinions and suggestions about what needs to be developed.<br />¨ listening to new recruits, not just talking to them<br />¨ talking with drivers, porters, guards, colleague staff to find out how they feel about changes ‑ they hear a lot more than you<br />¨ listening to the 'grapevine' ‑ it is rarely wrong<br />¨ smiling more often ‑ people will tell you much more.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Reflection and analysis</span></strong><br />This is the area that heads and managers often leave out. The need to reflect on the situation and make it clear in your own mind before communicating to others is absolutely essential. The time to do this will never appear unless you actually make time. Think about it, sift it, sort it out, analyse it and write it down. Organise your thoughts in a logical fashion. This will enable you to convey the message of change much better than if the thoughts were purely from the top of your head. This is what a true leader will do and this is your role as a headteacher.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Vision and concept‑building</span></strong><br />Apply some overall framework to the analysed data in terms of short‑term solutions, long‑term goals, overall purpose or mission statements, visions and theories about achieving goals, objectives and targets. Formulate strategies for action. Remember the role of the leader is to have the long and short term vision.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Implementation<br /></span></strong>Ideas without action are useless. Implementation is translating ideas into action, 'Go out and try' strategies. Sometimes you need to take risks and to allow others to do so without recriminations or blame. Monitor events and report on the outcomes.<br />But how best can we implement change? What sorts of strategies are most useful? The next activity should help you to develop some practical guidelines concerning the management of change.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Activity 8.2<br /></strong>Think back over the last year and reflect on some of the changes which you or other members of staff have introduced into your school. Identify one change which was generally successful and one which was less than successful and attempt to draw up a list of reasons for success and failure. Use the questions below to help you to organise your thoughts.<br /><br />¨ What was the change?<br />¨ What was the process of the change?<br />¨ Was everybody who would be affected by the change involved in the process?<br />¨ Was it successful? Why?<br />¨ If it was not successful, why not?<br />¨ What were the factors that contributed to the success or failure?<br /><br /><br /><strong>Comments </strong><br />There are many reasons why things can go wrong in introducing and imple­menting change in schools, and your reasons will probably have included items such as lack of training, shortage of resources, resistance from teachers, etc. A large number of studies have been undertaken into the nature of change and the change process and guidelines have been developed concerning the factors which can contribute towards success. For example, the importance of planning, of good communications, and of ensuring the relevance and feasibility of the proposed change are often stressed. Indeed, what emerges is the key role of leadership! The school head needs to deploy his or her leadership skills in planning, organising, directing, supervising and evaluating change. These are the key leadership functions which we introduced in Unit 1 'Introduction to Educational Leadership'.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Summary </span></strong><br />This unit has provided a brief overview of some of the important issues surrounding the management of change in schools. It has explored a number of strategies which a school head can adopt to help bring about change. Change is a complex process and often hard to manage, and what we find is that the effective manager of change is one who adopts the management principles and techniques which have been the focus of the various units making up this Module.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0