INTRODUCTION
Education planning and administration provides relevant information regarding the development and preparation of the education. Our management has made an attempt to emphasize that what are all the crucial areas that form the integral part of education planning and administration.St.Elizabeth Public School is a unique community bringing together diverse individuals in order to help children develop to their full potential. It has made a real attempt to meet these challenges in its planning.
Our administration committee has given considerable attention to this.The educational needs of our children act as the principal stimulus in our mission to guide the school planning for the welfare of our pupils in the years that lie ahead. Our vision aligns with the shifts in the global economy, society, and environment, which animates our mission and our values.
Education is the birth right of every child. A child is born with immense potentialities. There should be the system of education where no child is ever rejected, where the child is the centre of every learning activity, where personal attention is given to every child, focusing on physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual strengths which are the main four pillars of education.
PROCESS AND PRACTICES FOR PLANNING
One of the core functions of our management is planning, directing, controlling etcwhich involves taking decisions. So the process is done in an efficient and stepwise manner.The first step is defining the problem, or in some cases identifying the opportunity. The symptoms of the problem must not be confused with the real problem. So this step requires careful attention, investigation and time.After successful identification, we can move onto diagnosis. This involves understanding the problem, and seeing how it affects the long term and short term objectives of the firm. In general, there are certain defined steps in decision making. They provide a framework for the manager so that the whole process is more efficient. These steps in decision making help the manager make informed decisions that help the organization achieve its goals.
Identifying Alternatives
Once you have an in-depth understanding of the problem or the opportunity, it is now time to identify some alternative courses of actions and their possible consequences.The problem is that there are generally too many options and alternatives. The management cannot waste resources and money. So it must only consider strategic factors when identifying probable alternatives.
Analyzing the Alternatives
Now the next logical step will be analyzing all the possible alternatives for their pros and cons. There are tangible and intangible factors to consider when weighing the choices.Tangible factors include profit, the rate of return, time value etc. And then there are intangible factors like reputation, employee morale, PR etc.After evaluating the feasibility and acceptability of all alternatives, the manager must make his choice. A valued second opinion is always welcome as it gives a fresh perspective.
Choosing the Best Alternative
After we have identified the alternatives available to us, it is now time to make the decision. It is important that the manager understands the risk factor of all their choices and the impact it will have on the firm. Certain times he can even decide to choose some combination of two or more alternatives if he feels it is in the best interest of the firm.The basis of the decision that the manager takes can be based on two things,
- Experiments: Here the manager will take his decision on the basis of some experimentation. This has the advantage of being somewhat foolproof, as it also incorporates intangible factors. But the method is significantly expensive and time-consuming.
- Research: The other option is that the manager decides on the basis of research done by him. A lot of research techniques found in economics and financial analysis apply in the decision-making process as well. The method does not involve practical application but is considerably cheaper.
Planning
The planning and administration of a School is not a simple and straightforward task. It requires number of factors that are required to get investigated analyzed and put into practice. Our planning consists of dealing with goals and objectives, selecting accurate approaches and series to achieve the endeavors, determining and allocating the resource required our School Plan contains two main sections. The first section deals with the total curriculum to be implemented in the school. The second section describes a range of policies and practices which largely have to do with administrative aspects of school life.
Our planning includes Social engagement that should orient students’ academic experiences to help them become critically engaged citizens, dedicated to solving problems and contributing to the public good. For any administration, we also follow the principles of management which include hierarchy, control, unity of command, delegation of authority, specialization, objectives, centralization and decentralization, must be adhered to. The heads of departments in organizations make decisions that concern their divisions. Final decision making, however, rests with the head of the organization. Unity of command establishes who is responsible for reporting to whom.
The board of management will play an important role in supporting the school in producing and developing the School Plan, the principal in consultation and in co-operation with the teachers will be mainly responsible for initiating, designing and formulating the School Plan, appropriate consultation with and involvement of the parents will be necessary for the complete development of the School Plan, the board of management will ratify the School Plan subject to the approval of the patron in relation to those aspects of the plan which concern the school’s values and ethos, the commitment of all the members to formulating a School Plan is essential
Purpose of the School Plan: The School Plan has as its essential purpose the achievement of school effectiveness as well as being a significant support for school improvement. It will help the school to realize its stated aims and objectives which will be firmly directed towards meeting the present and anticipated needs of the pupils. It will help to ensure quality in teaching and learning throughout the school. In helping to achieve effectiveness, the School Plan will direct attention towards those areas of school activity which are accepted as being essential in ensuring effectiveness.
The Role of the School Management Committee
The administration of our School is a three-pronged activity, one is the school, second the student and, third the parents/ community. Where the participation of the parents or community is negligent or absent, education remains a supply model and not a demand model. The Right To Education Act of 2009 enumerates the role of the School Management Committee (SMC) as a very important component of school education. To provide for the participation of the parents in the governance of the academics and activities of the school the RTE Act has empowered the SMC.
Description
To assist the school in becoming effective and in promoting school improvement, a strategy is necessary to harmonize the sometimes differing expectations of teachers, boards of management and parents. For those teachers that are new to the school, we make sure that they are contacted and personally invited to orientation meetings. Principal will have letters sent out discussing new decisions, changes and goals for the upcoming school year so that teachers are reminded or informed of agendas and objectives. Other staff, such as custodial and office staff, should be reminded of important upcoming dates and pre-opening-day meetings as well. Our management keep contacting the officers of the PTA and delegating parent responsibilities to them. Such responsibilities may include sending letters to new parents informing them of the role of parents and the PTA in the school, as well as sending letters to all parents informing them of upcoming PTA meeting dates, times and locations. Principals should have school calendars sent out to parents reminding them of important events for the year.
The School Plan is a statement of the educational philosophy of the school, its aims and how it proposes to achieve them. It deals with the total curriculum and with the organization of the school’s resources, including staff, space, facilities, equipment, time and finance. It includes the school’s policies on such key issues as: pupil assessment, special needs, record-keeping, staff development, teachers’ preparation, homework, the code of behaviour, home-school links, equal opportunitiesin the curriculum for girls and boys, intercultural education, health and safety standards.
Our School Plan is concerned with the creation of realistic targets which lead, if achieved over a period of time, to improvements in the education offered to children. Our School Plan provides a shared long-term vision for the school. It establishes priorities for action and provides a mechanism for reviewing progress. Our School Plan enables the school to control the direction and pace of its own development in a professional way.
In our administration planning is essentially a process in which policy and plans evolve from the ever-changing and developing needs of the school community. An important dimension in this process of planning is the collaborative effort and co-operation that takes place between the principal, the teachers, the board of management and the parents of the pupils attending the school. The involvement of all the partners in this collaborative exercise enables each to make its own special contribution which in turn is complemented by the contributions of the other partners. The process involved in school planning is of paramount importance to all those engaged in the exercise at all stages of the plan’s development. Effective school planning involves constant review, design, implementation and evaluation.
Educational Policy
It is important to remember that educational policy, and leadership is an inseparable link of our School administration. The true leader is someone who earns respect through his rightful actions and mass following without any dictatorship. He inspires others to follow his footsteps and become the guiding light for the humanity. The great leaders of our School carry the torch of wisdom and enlighten our School thereby leading students to the path of progress and growth. Besides, the true meaning of leadership is expressed when students want to follow you while being under no compulsion as such to do so. Leaders of our School are those staffs who set certain benchmarks and try to achieve those benchmarks by allowing students to judge them according to their actions and endeavors. The goals are set and all might is put towards achieving those goals, but without compromising with the ethics and morals – this is the true mark of our School.
Our system of education and its governance possess great leadership qualities and effectively channelize their energy and devote themselves for the growth and progress of students. The restrictions or obligations that he/she imposes on himself/herself enable him/her to rise against all odds and never bow down to the circumstances. Always remember that the love of supreme excellence is found in a great leader. Thus, a true leader is someone who is able to establish a connection with the almighty and realizes by faith that he/she is a mere instrument in the hands of Him and dedicates his entire life to become an inspirer and guide of the higher sentiments and ambitions of the people.
Infrastructural Facilities
St.Elizabeth Public School is actually a home away from home for any student. During student life most of the waking hours of any student are spent at school, learning anything and everything in various dimensions from books, teachers, peers and even school environs. There is no denying how significant a school is in shaping up a student’s personality and holistic learning process. Like an experienced teacher and teaching pedagogy play a critical role in shaping students’ academic lives, infrastructure is also vital. It creates a favourable environment for students’ holistic development. And we have done the best to provide it for our children. It’s a common knowledge that every parent wants to spend money where their kids feel safe and secure while learning and enjoying their student life. They wish to ensure the schools have ample safety standards and facilities to make learning a joy.
Audio – Visual (AV) Supplements
St.Elizabeth Public School has AV-equipped classrooms or venues to boost students’ learning and understanding. Teachers explain difficult subject like Physics/Maths/Chemistry through graphical representation of complex equations with the help of smart-boards. For language learning, the audio-visual equipment is an indispensable tool. Teachers can play snippets of award-winning films, plays, and speeches of great orators, both in vernacular, English, or the target language to facilitate the skills of listening, speaking, and histrionics. Subject teachers are leveraging AV facilities in interesting ways to trigger the class’s curiosity through graphics, images, and puzzles, thereby driving them to think out-of-the-box. Above all, it satisfies a student’s need to see, hear, and have a complete grasp of what they are learning.
Libraries
We have a well-equipped library housing a wealth of useful books or informative and interesting video facilities, coupled with a motivating or mood-lifting ambiance not only attracts students but also develops a liking to study. It encourages exploring interesting things among students, especially in their formative years when the curiosity to know is intense among curious minds of children. Such places in our campus also serve as holding interactive sessions and exchanging knowledge among students, thereby enhancing students’ writing and reading skills.
Science Laboratories
These are the times of innovations which call for scientific temperament to be nurtured among students in their formative years. Thus, we have fully equipped and suitably-designed laboratories for various subjects be it physics, chemistry, biology or home science are very much the need of the hour. For is reason, this component has also gained prominence as a key component in our school.
Auditorium
In any school, an auditorium equipped with the latest multimedia technology can serve as an ideal platform to showcase not only students’ various performances but also be a good utility for conducting various educational programmes.
Sports Facilities
Every child of today views some or the other sports personality as his/ her ideal. Be it martial arts, swimming, cricket or skating, students wish to learn something at school itself to be better than their friends in the neighborhood. Thus, we have made the availability of sports facilities, basketball courts, tennis courts, cricket pitch, skating rink, volleyball courts and an indoor gym are currently considered to be essential parts of our infrastructure.
Certainly it’s a fact that our School does its best in the ways in improving the interest of both – students and teachers alike in learning. It plays a role in improving the attendance of students too. For this same reason, it can be said that investments in school infrastructure play an enabling role in solving many access-related problems of students to the school system, thereby giving boost to their academic performance too.
Going beyond the Class Room
Education should make children aware of the world and themselves, widen their perspective, and make them seek the truth. Schools are embracing the trend of taking children outside the classroom. Whether on a nature trail, or visiting cottage industry, students now directly interact with what they read about in books. Children gain more knowledge when they see and experience history in museums than being taught the same in the class. This provided students with hands-on learning. Hence, there is a visible increase in the number of excursions organized by schools. Students, teachers, and parents enthusiastically come forth to make the attempt a holistic educational experience.
Conclusion
St.Elizabeth Public School prepares students to understand, contribute to, and succeed in a rapidly changing society, thus making the world a better and more just place. We will ensure that our students develop both the skills that a sound education provides and the competencies essential for success and leadership in the emerging creative economy. We will also lead in generating practical and theoretical knowledge that enables people to better understand our world and improve conditions for local and global communities. We are also planting the seed of a collaborative mind as early as primary school, where young children are motivated to create, plan, and organize group presentations of stories, skits, or poems. Throughout, teachers help students chalk out their plans, provide them key points, supervise their work, and build team spirit.