Educational Planning and Organization

Educational Planning and Organization

The overall planning of education is a continuous, systematic process, involving the application and co-ordination of social research methods, and of principles and techniques of education, administration, with a view to securing adequate education for the people, with definite aim and in well-defined stages, and to providing everyone with an opportunity of developing his potentialities and making the most effective contribution to the social, cultural and economic development of the country.

The basic requirements of educational planning are:

(i)                 Objectivity, so that in no circumstances may personal or group interests be allowed to divert planning from its essential purposes;

(ii)               Application of scientific methods in studying the educational, cultural, social and economic realities of the country;

(iii)             Objective appraisal of the needs and of the choice between short. medium and long-term solutions;

(iv)             Realistic appraisal of the possibilities in terms  of the human and financial resources necessary for efficient application of the proposed solutions;

(v)               Continuity in order to ensure systematic pursuit of the objectives;

(vi)             Flexibility, to allow for adaptation of the plan to unforeseen or unforeseeable situations;

(vii)           Teamwork, to ensure efficient and co-ordinate effort;

Educational Planning:

The work of planning is commonly divided into a set number of typical phases, which give the timing and method of work, in order to organize and seriate the expenditure of effort.

i. Drawing a Proposal

ii. Consultation and adoption

iii. Execution and revision

iv. Evaluation and further planning

In this case, the initial phase covers the preliminary operations and the successive drafting stages, while the second phase concentrates on sounding opinion and getting the plan adopted. Execution and revision are bracketed to emphasize the drive and flexibility which the plan adopted needs to have, and the final phase is a general evaluation of where the plan has succeeded and where it has fallen short, for use in the preparation of a new plan.

            The six elements to be considered while planning are:

(i)Objectives

            Planning is a process for accomplishing purposes. It is a blue print of business growth and a road map of development. It helps in deciding objectives both in quantitative and qualitative terms. It is setting of goals on the basis of objectives and keeping in the resources.

(ii) Policies

            They are general statements or understandings. They guide thinking in decision making.  They ensure that the decision will be consistent with an objective.  Policies help decide issues before they become problems. They unify other plans Policy is a means of encouraging discretion and initiative within limits. Policies may be formal or informal. Policies are specific guidelines and constraints for managerial thinking on decision-making and action. Policies provide the framework within which decision-makers are expected to operate while making organizational decisions. They are the basic guides to be consistent in decision-making.

Characteristics of a good policy

• Policies should only provide broad framework
• Policies must be consistent
• Policies must be adequate
• Policies should not be duplicated
• Policies must be sound, rational and logical
• Policies must be flexible

(iii) Procedures

Procedures are plans that establish a required method of handling future activities. As plans they are guide to action.   They are chronological sequences of action Procedures provide the time table for starting a given work.  They supply guidelines to carry out policies. They translate policies into actions.  Procedures are to be delineated because they guarantee a standard way of performing a task and result in work simplification.  They enable to fall in line with work norms and improve the efficiency of the employees and ensure systematic performance of work at every stage.  They enforce consistency, uniformity and standardization in work performed at all levels.

Difference between Policies and Procedures

Policies	Procedures
Guides for thinking	Guides for actions
Help to fulfill the objectives	Help to implement policies
They are broad	Procedures are specific
Policies are established without any study	They are established after thorough analysis of work

(iv) Programmes

Programmes include goals, policies, procedures, rules, tasks, steps, resources and other elements necessary to carry out a given course of action.  It lay down the operations to be carried out to accomplish a given work.  A programme is a collective of several related action plans that lays down the operations to be carried out to accomplish a given work.  It includes objectives, policies, procedures, rules, resources and other elements necessary to carry our a given course of action.  It is time bound.

• A six step process for effective programming is:
• Step wise division of work
• Relationship and sequence between steps
• Fixing responsibility
• Arranging for resources
• Scheduling and
• Data sheets for each tasks
•  

(v) Budgets

Budget is a plan without which all other plans are rendered inoperative.  A budget is a statement of expected results expressed in numerical terms. It is a detailed financial plan.  It is a statement of financial resources set aside for specific activities in a given period of time.  Budget is an important component of programmes as it itemizes income and expenditure

(vi) Strategies

Strategy is the broad programme for achieving an organizations objectives and thus implementing its mission.  Strategies can be considered the mechanisms that help the organization adapt to its environments and integrate its internal operations.   It links the organization with the outside world.  Active formulation of a strategy is known as strategic planning.  Strategic planning is the formalized, long range planning process used to define and achieve organizational objectives.

Long term & Short term Educational Planning :

            Based on the division of operational time into long, medium and short periods, plans can be classified into three categories:

1. Long term plans – Covering 10 to 20 or more years
2. Medium term plans – Extending over 3 to 10 years
3. Short term plans – Relating to very short period of one or two years

Long term plans

            Long term planning covers 10 to 20 or even more years and recently a period of 30 to 40 years is being taken as a period of the long range studied in the field of education. It is due to the increasing awareness on the part of planners that only long term projections can accommodate of development in these fields.  Inputs in pre-primary and elementary education provide a good example where long range planning is required.

Medium Term Plans

            These plans span a period of over 3 to 10 years. Moreover creation of infrastructure for any development activity also needs certain amount of time. Assessment of consequences of measures adopted can also de done properly. High School and Under Graduate education provide a good example where medium term planning can be of great use.  Medium term plans provides a link between short term and long term plans and thus connect the chain of time.  Medium term plans are generally indicative rather than operational in nature and provide the framework for action to be embodied in short term plans. They provide the criteria for the evaluation of the short term plans.

Short term plans

            A short term plan for a year is an annual plan. Annual plans are prepared for immediate needs and immediate action. Eg: Planning for organization of in service programmes for the professional development of teachers in a school for two weeks is an annual plan. A short term plan of an institution takes into consideration the tasks which require immediate attention.  The analysis of the institutional situation will reveal what tasks are to be performed in relation to the institutes goals and objectives. In general short term plan provides a base for medium term and long term.

            All the three types of plans have distinct roles to play. The long term clarifying the perspective and the vision of the society, the medium term, concretizing aspirations and the short term providing for action.

Institutional Planning

            Institutional planning is a systematic approach to the plan and programme for the improvement of the institution.  It is based on the principle of the maximum utilization of the resources of the school and the community in which it exists.   Improvement in the outcome of students, teaching-learning methods, co-curricular activities and professional development of teachers are the main objectives of Institutional Planning.

Definition

Institutional Planning is a milestone in the journey towards the improvement of education. The teacher is the kingpin in any educational effort. It is for the first time that the teaching community is being asked to act as the planner and executor of educational improvement.                - E.W.Franklin

Importance of Institutional Planning

·         It puts emphasis on the decentralization of decision making

·         Administrators, teachers, parents students and community people participat in the planning

·         It promotes active participation of local  community

·         It utilizes the available resources of the school

·         It meets the felt and immediate as well as the future needs of the school

·         It improves educational practices in the schools

Preparation of an Institutional Plan

The following are the steps that are generally followed in the preparation of an Institutional Plan

1. Survey the needs of the school

2. Assessing the different resources, manual as well as material

3. Preparing the plan

4. Execution of the plan

5. Evaluating the plan

Planning of curricular and co-curricular activities

Kera defines curriculum as “All the learning which is planned and guided by the school, whether it is carried on in groups or individually, inside or outside the school.    It is a body of knowledge to be transmitted. It is important to plans the syllabus, the ways of completing the syllabus and means of evaluating the attainment of objectives specified in the syllabus.  The planning of curricular activities involve the following :

(i)                 Diagnosis of need

(ii)               Formulation of objectives

(iii)             Selection of content

(iv)             Organization of content

(v)               Selection of learning experiences

(vi)             Organization of learning experiences

(vii)           Determination of what to evaluate and the ways of doing it.

Co-curricular activities are now considered to be the intrinsic part of the educational endeavour in a school.  Till lately these were called extra curricular activities.  But now these have been recognized a part of regular curriculum for the complete education of the child, and hence these are now co-curricular.  In fact, curricular and co-curricular activities are now considered complementary to each other both deserving equal weight and emphasis in the total program of the school. 

Types of co-curricular activities:

(i)                 Activities for Physical Development

(ii)               Activities for Literary and Academic Development

(iii)             Activities for Aesthetic and Cultural Development

(iv)             Activities for Leisure (or hobbies)

(v)               Activities for Tractor Development (or craft activities)

(vi)             Excursion Activities

(vii)           Activities of Civic Development

(viii)         Social Welfare Activities (or Activities for Social Training or Community Activities)

(ix)             Multipurpose Activities (or Projects)

Principles underlying organizations of activities:

            A number of educative principles underline the organization of activities.  These are discussed under the following heads:

1.                  Selection

2.                  Providing Time and Place

3.                  Providing Motivation

4.                  Providing Advice

1.         Selection Activities:

            Proper selection of activities is an important part of organization.  In the first place, the number of activities should be varied and large, so as to cater to be varied interests of the pupils attempt should be made to provide opportunities for all the pupils for participating in one or the other activity.  Hence the activities should be sufficient in range and variety.

            Secondly, it will not be advisable to organize activities and multiply these to such an extent that they impose excessive strain on the pupils.

            Thirdly, activities for which students are not forthcoming, or which are uneconomical or beyond the limited resources of the institution may not be introduced at all.

            Fourthly, greater attention should be paid to those activities which have greater educative value.  The activities must arouse creative interests and talents, and must be within the scope of pupil’s ability.

            Fifthly, the activities must be in accordance with the interests of the pupils.  The pupils must be left free to choose the activity of their interest.  In no case should the membership be imposed upon them.

            Sixthly, it is suggested that activities should be selected as means to the end and not ends in themselves.

            Lastly, it is suggested that the activities should fit the size, the educational level and the individual interest of the pupils.

2.         Providing Time and Place:

            If activities are to be organized seriously, proper time and place must be provided for these.  Some activities like outdoor games may be organized after the school hours.  In the absence of sufficient accommodation for outdoor games, open spaces for pupil use adjacent to the school premises must be utilized after formal permission form the Municipal or District Board Authorities.  Group functions, or celebrations on large scale wherein the school participate, must be arranged in the hall.  The best use must be made of the school compound or the court-yard.  It is desirable to have an open air locate and a permanent stage in the compound.

3.         Providing Motivation:

            Pupils must be motivated to participate in the activities.  For  this purpose a number of suggestions are presented:

            In the first place, a long list of activities organized in the school must be presented before each pupil when he joins the school and he should be asked to choose the activities of his interest.  He should register himself as regular member for the club or the society for the respective activity. 

            Secondly, the organization of the activities must be left to the pupils.  Initiative must come from the pupils rather than from the staff.  The staff should act only as advisers.

            Thirdly, the organization must be run on democratic lines, with regular elections, proper representation from the pupils as office bearers and organizers.

            Fourthly, the aim and function of each of the activity organized should be well-defined.  The steps to be followed in the organization must be awarded to the pupils for creditable performance.  For promoting group emulation, shields, running trophies flags, honour-boards and other group rewards should be awarder.  Dignitaries from outside must be invited to preside over school functions, so that the student participants feel doubly honoured.

4.         Providing Advice :

            All the members of the staff must be directly associated with the activities as advisers.  Each member may remain in-charge of a particular activity of his interest.  Where the number is large, the chief adviser of each activity may be assisted by the junior members.

            The adviser must possess certain qualifications.  He must possess special knowledge of the respective activity.  He must know the definite purpose and function of the activity.  He must possess full experience of organizing the same, so that he can guide the students in planning and conducting smoothly.

Planning of time table:

            The school time-table is methodical and a pre-arranged scheme or studies and activities.  It is a plan, showing the daily allotment of time among the various subjects, activities and classes.  It shows the hours of school work, the time allowed to different items of work.

Need and importance of the time table

            Time-table is a necessary tool for the efficient working of a school.  It is really a mirror that reflects the entire educational programme of the school.  “It is the time-table that supplies the frame-work within which the work of the school proceeds. It is the instrument through which the purpose of the school is to function”.  The main importance of the school time-table is in its values, which may be enumerated as follows:

(i)                 It ensures smooth and orderly working of the school

(ii)               It prevents waste of time and energy

(iii)             It ensures equitable distribution of work among teachers

(iv)             It ensures equitable distribution of time to different subjects and activities

(v)               It helps in adjusting school work according to the need of pupils

(vi)             It helps in the formulation of good habits.

(vii)           It aids the school discipline

Important Principles of time table construction:

            It is not an easy task to prepare a good time table.  It is more a complicated piece of work because it is determined by a number of factors and conditions which change from place to place and from school to school.  Its construction, therefore, regains through concentration and perseverance of mind.  While constructing a good time-table, the following important principles should always kept in view.

1.         Type of School: 

            The nature of curricular and co-curricular activities, to be organized in a school, is determined by its type.  Activities organized in a junior basic school, will differ form those in secondary or higher secondary school.  Similarly rural schools will differ to a great extent, from the urban schools.  Single-teacher and double-shift school have their own specific problems which must be solved through the time-table.  It is, therefore, that while constructing a time-tale, the specific needs of the school, for which it is meant, must always be kept in mind.

2.         Departmental Regulations :

            Generally, the Department of Education, in different stats, fixes the length of the school year, the duration of the school day, the duration of each of teaching period and even the number of periods, for each subjects.  In the Punjab and Haryana for example, schools in winter function from 9.30 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.  and the duration of each teaching period in 45 minutes.    In summer  they function from 7.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. and the duration of each teaching period is 40 minutes.  Eight teaching periods are provided for secondary classes and seven for primary of junior classes.  It, therefore, becomes essential that school time-table is in agreement with the government policy. 

3.         Amount of Time Available :

            As we have stated above, the allotment of time to different subjects is done on the basis of the amount of time to different subjects and activities is done on the basis of the amount of the time available.  In some states, the duration of time to be allotted to each subject has been fixed by the Department of Education, both for summer and winter Time-table will, therefore, be formed in-accordance with departmental instructions.  In case of double shift-school, duration of school day is naturally shorter.  It will, therefore, necessitate several changes in the school time-table.

4.         Relative-Importance and Difficulty of Subjects:

            The distribution of item and periods among the various school subjects is a matter of great importance.  Each subject should be provided in the time-tale according to its importance, which, of course, is determined by the social, economic and cultural considerations as well as by the future needs of the pupils.  There is also the consideration of the relative difficulty of subjects.  Thus, more time in secondary schools given to Mathematics and English, not because they are more important but because they are more difficult.  In Junior Basic School, more time is devoted to reading, writing, Arithmetic and Craft because of their difficult nature, as compared to Social Studies and General Science.  Similarly, the number of subjects, combination of subjects provided and the number of elective groups introduced in a particular higher secondary school must also be taken into consideration, while farming a suitable time-table. 

5.         The Element of Fatigue:

            Fatigue, in reality is the state of inability to continue work after a prolonged activity of certain parts of the body.  It is of two kinds: (a) Physical or muscular and (b) Mental or nervous.  In the school, some subjects are more fatiguing than others.  They involve in heavy mental strain and efforts.  Such subjects should be taught during early hours when the brain is fresh.  It has been noted psychologically that the second and the third periods on a school day are the best when the work curve reaches its highest point.  Similarly the second and the third days of week are the best when momentum is the highest. Monday is only the warming up day and Saturday is perhaps the worst.  So subjects like English, regional languages and Mathematics should be taught during the best periods of the day. Similarly subjects like arts, crafts, writing, science practicals and manual work etc.  which require less concentration should be provided in the last periods.  Lastly, the duration of periods must change according to age, physical conditions and season.  In summer, periods should be of shorter duration as compared to winter.  Similarly, in the case of primary classes, periods should not be very long.

6.         Variety :

            Time-table should be constructed in a  manner that it allows frequent change of places and postures to pupils.  The same subject should not be taught continuously for many periods, nor should the same class sit in a particular room for the whole day.  Change of seat, room and posture is the best remedy against fatigue.

7.         Elasticity:

            A se have already stated, time-table, is an instrument to help us in carrying out the school work smoothly and efficiently.  It should, therefore, be not rigid and fixed.  It should rather be made as flexible and elastic as possible.  There must be ample scope for adjustments and changes to meet the specific needs of certain categories of pupils.  Change may also be necessary because of the transfer of some teachers.  It should, however, be remembered that time-table should not become our master because of its rigidity, it should, always, act as a faithful servant.

8.         Staff, Equipment and Building :

            While constructing a good time-table, the number and qualifications of teachers, the number and size of classes and class-rooms and equipment, therein, should always be form that of a two-teacher or multi-teacher school.  Again in case of a school where one room is used for two classes, the time-table will be arranged in different manner as compared to a school with a spacious building.  Equipment and furniture, available in a School, also determine the construction of time-table to a certain extent.

Assignment of Wok to teachers :

            What should be the criteria of distribution of teaching work among the staff?  Which class and which subject should be taught by which teacher?  The usual bases of the distribution work are as follows:

1.                  The qualifications and experience of the teacher

2.                  The grade of the school and the need experience and qualification

3.                  The subject to be taught, its intensity and importance

The distribution of work to teachers in a school is based on the following:

(i)         Contents of Subject Matter:

            It is a matter of common observation that a teacher who teachers science subject has greater strain on his mind than those who teach History or Geography or Languages.  A mathematics teacher after  solving a number of qualifications will perspire more than a language teacher who more or less simply enjoys a piece of poetry. Different subjects demand varied amount of labour.  The hierarchy of the subject in the ascending order of the strain involved will be –

(i)                 Co curricular activities, physical education

(ii)               Art, Music, Craft

(iii)             Social Studies, Languages, Commerce, Economics

(iv)             Science, Maths, Technology, Agriculture

2.         Number of Periods per week:

            It is self-evident that more period involve more strain.  Sometimes a teacher has got duplicate periods. i.e., he teachers same subject to different section of the same grade.  In such case no additional preparation is required for teaching the section. Hence the strain for a periods in two sections (4 periods in each section) in less than that of 8 periods in the same section approximately equal to the strain for 6 periods in one section.  Other words duplicate periods mean one and a half period into the strain involved.

3.         Number of Pupils in a Section:

            Forty is the convenient number.  But very recently some Governments like Haryana have fixed the number of pupils in each at fifty-five.  Such a heavy number is sure to involve greats in the form of correcting more exercise books, evaluating in house-test, keeping heavier records of pupils and paying visual-attention.

4.         Duration of Each Period:

            Forty minutes is the average duration of a period.  But if each subject continuous for a longer period, the load becomes proportionately heavier.

            Thus teaching load has got 4 major variables as explained above.  It can thus be measured even quantitatively by measuring some hypothetical units of each variable and finding the resultant of these.  A mathematical formula representing symbolically the resultant of the work load of a teacher is given in appendix (1), With the help of this formula a headmaster can weigh approximately the work load of each teacher and make necessary adjustments for balancing the same and for making equitable distribution of work amount the staff.