PAPERS PRESENTED IN THE CONFERENCE
1. Institutional Growth-Perspective Planning and Resource Management
1.1 Shri H.R. Sharma, Delhi 50
1.2 Dr. K.V. Paulose, Cochin 68
2. Managing For Overall Human Excellence
2.1 Prof. Kuldeep Kumar, Delhi 74
2.2 Mrs. Indu Pillai, Delhi 77
2.3 Smt. Arundhati Mohan, Madras 83
2.4 Col. J.N. Agnihotri, Jaipur 89
2.5 Mrs. M. Sandhu, Amritsar 101
2.6 Smt. Seetha Ramakrishnan, Madras 107
3. Planning For Academic Excellence
3.1 Sh. H.R. Sharma, Delhi 112
3.2 Dr. R.C. Sharma, Delhi 137
3.3 Sh. S.P. Mishra, Bhillai 147
3.4 Sh. S.S. Minhas, jallandhar 153
4. School - Planning for Career Growth
4.1 Sh. C.D. Sharma, Delhi 158
4.2 Sh. Kamail Singh, Jallandhar 166
4.3 Sh. Govinda Rao, Madras 171
5. School and Community Relationship in Changing Scenario
5.1 Dr. R.C. Shrivastava Delhi 175
5.2 Dr. A.R. Vasavi, Ahmedabad 182
5.3 Dr. Girish Bapat, Pune 187
5.4 Dr. H.J. Shah, Ahmedabad 196
6. Coping with Changing Student Behaviour Patterns
6.1 Mrs. Y.G. Parthasarthy, Madras 201
6.2 Mrs. Mohan Chandra Shekhar, Madras 206
6.3 Sh. Vivek Ponkshe, Pune 212
7. Managing Stress & Strain by the Principal
7.1 Dr. M.N. Siddiqui, Delhi 218
7.2 Sh. S.C. Gupta, Delhi 227
7.3 Sh. M. Jagan Mohan Rao, Hyderabad 238
48
Paper Presented 49
7.4 Smt. Hemlatha Biswas, Bokaro 243
7.5 Sh. R.S. Grewal, Ludhiana 246
8. Successful Principal : A Perception
8.1 Dr. R.C. Shrivastava 248
8.2 Sh. T. Balasubramanian, Kerela 253
8.3 Mrs. K. Alamelu, Madras 261
8.4 Sh. J.D. Johnson, Madras 272
9. Schools - Shape & Structure in the 21st Century
9.1 Dr. R.P. Singh, Delhi 277
9.2 Sh. S. Sahai, Jammu 283
9.3 Capt.K.B. Nowlay, Madras 292
9.4 Sh. Lalitha Prasad, Kerela 297
List of Contributors 301
Kindly note:
The views expressed in these articles are those of authors' CBSE does not necessarily subscribe to them.
School Management -Building a Perspective H R Sharma
The word school conjures up different images in the minds of those who have undergone schooling. The events, happenings, incidents and occasions get blurred over the years and get stuck up in mind only as hazy notions and sweeping generalizations. For some it is an exhilarating experience which had been responsible for making their lives while for many others not so encouraging or remarkable, leave apart occasional episodes. Serious questions are being asked whether schooling is really contributory in any way to human growth. The growing unemployment, widespread violence throughout the world and crash of human values weakening the social fabric, have made some thinkers believe that schooling is becoming counterproductive.
Ivan Illich in his De schooling Society has raised very fundamental issues. The schooling system though shaken by such assertions remains deeply entrenched in the society for various reasons; chief among them being their intrinsic value as an instrument of socialization, absence of any better alternative and environment generated by international agencies at the world level. May be Parkinson's Law of self-perpetration may also be one of the factors. Things though dismaying may not be in so critical state. To the content of the professionals, there are several studies which amply suggest that things are not totally lost and schooling does make a significant difference in the life of the individual. The studies undertaken by Rutter, Reynolds, Purkey and Smith at various points of time have given similar findings, all of which support that schools are different and can have an important impact on the lives of their pupils. *1
1. School - A Specified Structure The school remains an important agent of social engineering. Both open societies like the western democracies and the closed societies, characterized by the former Soviet Union or East European socialist societies, for their own reasons, conceded the fact that school is a significant agency for change. All social aspirations may find their reflection in the school set up they created. In open societies where tempo of change is fast, the challenges are too many and come in quick succession. In static societies, structures once built or models evolved continue to perpetrate themselves for longer periods, though their perfection may take time, Whatever the set up may be, school as a concept, presents the picture of a specified structure, a dynamic organization
1. Towards the Effective School, by Reid, Hopkins & Holly, 1987, Basil Blackwel Ltd. England.
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H. R. Sharma School Management-Building a Perspective 51
and an institution. In the first instance to an outsider it would give a look of a 'factory' with a place to work in, fixed schedules, and rigorous modes of working. it does have a semblance of 'product' and 'customer' relationship. But the similarities end here. 'in the traditional concept, the school is a community with the associated emphasis on ideas like ethos, spirit and individual commitment. There is concern with the process as well as with the content of the work that is done.'
2. Institution with Ethos and Culture In contrast to a factory, school represents uniqueness of processes and a great variation in the quality of product since each product is dynamic, interactive and is capable of selective reception or resistance. This is totally different from the conveyor-belt technology and precision made standardised products, capable of giving some degree of service or utility in similar conditions in any part of the world. The school as a community gives the impression of 'interacting wholeness' as reflected through its ethos and culture. In this context, it is necessary to analyse briefly the two concepts. Organizational culture is characteristic spirit and belief of an institution demonstrated in the norms and values that are generally held about how people should treat each other, the nature of working relationships and attitudes to the change. These norms are deep, taken for granted assumptions that are not always expressed, and are often known without being understood."' The word 'culture' is more familiar in management circles which at times is induced through design, whereas 'ethos' indicates still deeper value system which propels the organization as a motivational force; sometimes expressedly designated as ideals. Ethos is more intimately associated with educational endeavours.
3. School and Social Accountability The question now arises as to when the two concepts, factory and school, so apart from each other, be harboured by an educational institution particularly the former one which is Usually aligned with commercial/industrial concerns. In the deeper analysis, as indicated earlier, the school system too inherently reflects the 'product consumer' relationship though in not so express and direct sense as in market. The reason could be that schooling does not show impact directly; if at all in too dilated a form defying an exact description. The more subtle is the difference, the longer it takes to produce. This gives rise to all controversies, doubts, scepticism, commissions, enquiries, policies, plans and statements. This phenomenon is world-wide. The turmoil created in the aftermath of launching of the first Sputnik by the erstwhile Soviet Union is -a well-known fact. The educational process broadly owes 'account- ability' to society. This purpose here is not to go into this mechanism in depth but
2. The Reality of School Management, Derek Torrington and Jane Weightman, 1989, Basil Ltd. England.
3. Ibid
52 School Management - Building a Perspective H R Sharma
only to underline the significance of the relationship which exists between schooling as reflected by the national or community systems of education and the society; further down, in the form of expectations of the parents and what is delivered by the school. A school, in the ultimate analysis, represents an 'Enterprise' with its mottos, share- holders and dividends. The lower the dividends, the greater the chances of its rejection. As long as schooling retains these characteristics, there is a need for 'School Management'; an effective way of organizing itself. The effectiveness of school is a vast topic perhaps pointing to immensity of educational system itself. However, it will be worth-while to examine a few perspectives which give measures of accountability of an educational institution.
i. meeting the individualized expectations of parents.
ii. meeting general expectations of the parent community generally understood in the form of ethos, culture, sense of commitment, proficiency, human concerns and traditions among many others.
iii. meeting the needs of the individual child; sharing and shaping his perceptions on a long term basis.
4. Why Management ? Since education/schooling seeks desired results, it has to be a planned effort. The element of planning calls for a clearly conceived `management strategy', a policy for institutional planning. In this regard Fullan notes,
"effective approaches to managing change call for combining and balancing factors that do not apparently go together - simultaneous Simplicity complexity, looseness, tightness strong leadership participation etc." *4
"although student outcomes might be the ultimate indicator of the effectiveness of an innovation - projects must go through the complex and uncertain process of implementation before they can affect students, it makes sense to put first things first." *5
Though these remarks have been made in a different context, they are not less true If examined with reference to the need for school management. Incorporation of management philosophy in the planning and working of the school system is necessary to
i. put goals in sharper focus
ii. bridge gaps between expectations and fulfilment
iii. maximise output or potential in the face of limited resources
iv. arrange priorities - first thing first
V. bring orderliness in working
4. Towards the Effective School, Reid & others, pp.13.
5. ibid.
H R Sharma School Management - Buildinga Perspective 53
vi. generate a sense of accountability and fulfilment
vii. cultivate a culture of change and improvement
viii. apportion resources in accordance with priorities or contingencies.
The School as an institution is a cosmos in itself. This includes everything that education as a discipline or human concern can conceive of. It is not possible to enumerate these all in this paper which is transcribed by a limited purpose in view of the limited time available. This vast subject, with its innumerable focal points, presents a complex net-work of relationships. A view taken from different angles will give totally different perspectives which is not feasible to explore in the present context. The purpose of the paper is limited only to have an over view of 'School Management' as much as it helps in
(a) setting up of new institutions
(b) improving the established institutions.
Attempt is being made to make the planners conscious of some of the crucial elements which are vital in having an overall and prospective view of school as a management unit.
Giving a Perspective and Motive Force As hinted earlier, each school having a broad similarity with other institutions, in their overall functioning, create their own cultures and sub-cultures within, which stand in striking contrast with others. It's like a guitar with definite number of chords giving out different. notes and movements when struck by different performers. The performers bringwith them images of music and delicacies of skills. The images reflect the culture of mind, its elevation, its sensibilities, its dreams, its joys and its pathos which separate it from the mechanical aspect of strumming the chords known as skill. In the extended analogy, culture and ethos of the schools too represent something intrinsic which is influenced by mottos, ideal, values upheld deep in the core of school's working. It is that ideals which sets the tone of the institution, its ways of thinking, working amd behaving. These ideals influencing the ethos and culture of the school have to be isolated for clearer perception both at the formulation stage or operational stage, as the case may be. Where do these ideals come from?
The sources are very many - cultural heritage, history, traditions, value systems, constitution of a country, scientific and cultural advancement, need of and pressures on learner and scores of other factors. These sources can primarily fall into the following groupings.
i. Inspiration from the National Model: 54 School Management-Buildinga Perspective H R Sharma
ii. Search For Universal Values:
iii Community Needs:
iv. Management Aspirations and capabilities:
5. SELECTING A ROLE-MODEL & INTENT OF MANAGEMENT The pre-occupations of the school are many yet child remains at the centre of all interests. All the functions of the school and activities revolve round him. Based on the aspirations of the management, as hinted above, the school has to select a role model. Its aspirations have got to be inter-faced with the aspirations of the learner and parents expectations before a role-model could be conceived. These aspirations could be briefly summarised as under:
i. Transmission of culture, beliefs and ideals.
ii. Preparation for Life.
iii. Preparation for Career
iv. Promotion of individual's growth
v. Understanding the Inner-self - Emotional make up
vi. Shaping the individual. self-Natural endowments and propensities.
The school may like to select one on two role models as its, primary concerns, compatible with the ideals of the management while the others may play a secondary but supportive role in the total process of development. This inter-play between the
H R Sharma School Management- Building a Perspective 55
aspirations of the management and individual learner conceived in a generalized way may give a large number of configurations to set the general tone of school's functioning and the ideals it wishes to achieve. These may find overt expression in the composition of the trusts, the aims and objectives of the society, prospectus of the school, the nature of co-curricular activities, slant or emphases in curriculum, general environment of the school. A visionary management builds the school much before it lays its foundation. These very ideals become the basis of change, renovation, review or appraisal of the success of the school. These ideals may too undergo change as the institution evolves, shapes itself in the face of unforeseeable circumstances, or appraises itself against the changing demands on value system. However, it is always visible as a running thread throughout the length and breadth of the school. These role-models and ideals may find expression in statements like the ones cited below:-
i. To develop in the school a caring community exercising concern and respect for the welfare of others and emphasizing the overriding importance of good human relations, based upon sensitivity, tolerance and -goodwill.
ii. To encourage children to appreciate the virtues of collaboration, to foster habits of responsibility and self- discipline, and to promote initiative, endeavour and the exercise of independent judgement.
iii. To project the school as the servant of the local community, and to accept its appropriate shares of responsibility for equipping each child to find his own niche in his occupation and society.
iv. To encourage an attitude of positive response to the persistent demands of a changing society yet firmly upholding a belief in basic values and standards.
These are but a few statements showing the intent of the management to set the task for itself and strive for them.
6. FUNCTIONS OF A SCHOOL The school fulfills a specific range of purposes. To the outside world school is known through the functions it discharges and services it offers. While the' services' indicate its working relationship with the target population, parents, sister agencies in the field and general public, 'functions' relate to the way it organises itself and acts to provide the intended services. Functions are a direct corollary of the role-model the school has opted for itself and the professional demands made on it. These being many, different writers and thinkers have taken different viewpoints giving a perspective distinct from each other.
The first criterion emerges based on the responsibilities discharged towards different users of the service of the school or agencies with which it maintains a professional relationship. In this respect the model given by Morgan, Hall and Mackay is worth considering. *6