Q.1 How you will define school administration, strengthen your answer with relevant literature and in your opinion what is the scope of educational administration in teacher education?
Answer:
Educational administration is the study and practice of managing the resources, tasks and
communications involved in running a school. The goal of the administrator is to keep the
school's overall process flowing smoothly, making decisions that facilitate successful
education. The administrator identifies and articulates a school's mission and goals and
makes them happen by implementing programs, delegating tasks and allocating resources.
Meaning of Educational Administration
Educational Administration is a discipline within the study of education that examines the
administrative theory and practice of education in general and educational institutions and
educators in particular. The field ideally distinguishes itself from administration and
management through its adherence to guiding principles of educational philosophy.
The concept of educational administration may not be totally different from what we are
familiar with in the concept of administration. Education at different levels has its objectives,
the most important of the objectives that cut across all the levels of education is teaching
and learning. It is the function of the school to produce educated and enlightened human
beings who would be able to contribute positively to the development of the society. This
formed the opinion of Olaniyi (2000) who describes school as a social institution which does
not exist in a vacuum. He said further that a school is a micro-community, existing within a
macro community to mould the habits, interest, attitudes and feelings of children and
transmit from one generation to another. The school also comprises certain personnel i.e.
teaching and non-teaching staff as well as the students. These human resources in the
school work with some materials, such as instructional materials, equipment and financial
resources in order to achieve the objectives of the school
Administration is very germane to the realization of the school’s objectives – indeed, the
success of the school system depends largely on the administration of the school it
handled.
The teachers, students, non-teaching staff and resources must be efficiently arranged,
monitored and controlled, so that they would work harmoniously according to (educational
plan). Even the National Policy on Education emphasizes the success of the entire
educational system on proper planning, efficient administration and adequate funding.
School administration is the process by which principles, methods and practices of
administration are applied in educational institutions to establish, maintain and develop
such institutions in line with the goals of the institutions. Akinwumi & Jayeoba (2004) define
school administration as the scientific organization of human and material resources and
programs available for education and using them systematically and meticulously to achieve
educational goals.
Basically, educational administration implies the arrangement of the human and material
resources and program available for education and carefully using them systematically for
the achievement of educational objectives.
Thus educational administrator, whether in the ministry of education, the schools board, or
in a school is essentially the organizer, the implementer of plans, policies and program
meant for achieving specific educational objectives. The educational administrator may
contribute, one way or the other, in planning, policy–making and program designing, yet his
major role rests with the effective and efficient implementation of such plans, policies and
program for the benefit of education. Viewed from this angle, educational administration is
concerned with organization and implementation – it may be categorized under broad
areas of:
- Planning and Policy
- Implementation
Roles of Educational Administrators
The top administrator, whether she's called superintendent, head of school, president or
principal, is the institution's equivalent of a chief executive officer in business. She takes an
active role in personnel issues, budget decisions, curriculum planning and setting policy that
staff and students will abide by. Administrators are responsible for setting the institution's
tone and serve as its public face. School districts, colleges and universities often employ
assistant administrators to be responsible for budget, curriculum and personnel. Still other
educational administrators work in research and policy-making roles in governmental and
private departments and organizations where students typically never set foot.
Educational Administration Degrees
Typically, an educational administrator will need at least a master's degree in education,
master's degree in educational administration or doctorate in education. At the master's
level, coursework typically includes the sociology and law of education, educational
research, curricular and instructional strategies and leadership and management skills.
Earning a doctoral degree requires advanced study in leadership; educational theory,
practice and planning; supervisory skills; research and statistics; and organizational
dynamics.
Styles of Educational Administration
Educational researchers have devoted considerable effort to defining and analyzing what
makes an effective administrator. Effectiveness is measured using research tools such as
school climate surveys and institutional health assessments. The [Encyclopedia of
Educational Research and Administration] (http://www.sagepub.com/refbooks/Book226460)
published by Sage Research identifies four distinct styles: authoritarian leaders who employ
a top-down, unemotional style and run tight ships using coercive tactics, participative
leaders who emphasize collegiality and collaboration, transactional leaders who strive for a
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happy middle ground between the two and transformational leaders who focus on servant
leadership and empowerment. There is no definitive proof that one of these styles works
better than all of the others; what matters is a good fit between the administrator and the
institution's key stakeholders.
Making a Career in Educational Administration
Many a teacher takes a look at the way things are being run and either admires or detests it
so much that he decides to go for that master's and become a decision maker, and many
graduate programs are designed to accommodate the needs of these working teachers.
Aspiring educational administrators need to prepare themselves for long days during which
they'll handle a variety of problems and successes and be the one held responsible in good
times and bad. It's a job for problem solvers with superb time management skills.
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Please Check Solutions to Other B. ed Assignments (Spring 2018)
Q.2 Elaborate educational administration and its scope. What are the responsibilities of a head teacher in a school?
Answer:
Within TimeClick there are several different levels of administration that allow you to spread
the work of administering TimeClick across different departments. Note that all three levels
of administration are accessible with a unique administrative password. Having multiple
admin users makes it easier to split the work among others and ensures the proper tasks
are assigned to the appropriate administrator. Each of the three administration modes can
be open on any of the TimeClick computers by clicking the administration button, choosing
the administration mode you would like to enter and then typing the password.
The first option is the main administration mode. This administrator will have access to
everything in the time tracking system. This is where you will add and edit employees’
records, modify times, view reports, set preferences, and manage your accruals.
Next, you have the Level 2 – Restricted Administration mode. This will allow anyone with the
appropriate password to view reports and/or modify times if the main administrator allows
them to do so. By default, the Level 2 administration is only able to view reports in TimeClick. You can, however, allow them to modify times by going into the main
administration mode, selecting preferences then password and misc controls and then
check the box that reads allow level 2 and department supervisors to modify times.
Last, there is a Department Supervisor administration level. Again, like a level 2
administration you can allow department heads the ability to just run reports or to modify
times as well. In order to allow a department supervisor these administrative capabilities,
you will first need to create the department, and then set them up as a department
supervisor in the administration mode under Departments. After you’ve assigned an
employee to be a department supervisor they will be able to access reports and modify
times for employees listed within their department. The department supervisor(s) will be
able to use their employee password to log in to this restricted area.
Educational Administration:
As we know the very fact that educational administration needs integration and coordination
of all the physical and human resources and educational elements. Besides this it
requires a great efficiency with it based on human sympathy, understanding, knowledge
and skill. The physical resources mainly contribute building equipment’s and instructional
materials.
The human resources include pupils, teachers, supervisors, administrators and parents. The
additional elements comprise the various aspects of educational theory and practice
including philosophy of education, objectives of education, curriculum, method of teaching,
discipline, role of the teacher, rules and regulations etc.
These elements are “parts, made into whole” and are components brought into harmonious
relationship. So the purpose of doing such vital task is to fulfill different purposes which are
known as the objectives of educational administration.
These are:
1. To provide proper education to students:
This objective seeks to mention the fact that good education doesn’t mean education at a
very high cost as is practiced in modern public schools. Rather it means the right type of
education from the right type of teachers within reasonable cost. This objective also implies
quantitative expansion and qualitative improvement of education.
2. To Ensure Adequate Utilization Of All Resources:
For adequate realization of the various purposes of educational programme there is the
need of ensuring adequate utilization of all available resources-human, material and
financial.
3. To Ensure Professional Ethics And Professional Development Among Teachers:
As teachers are the senior and mature human elements to accelerate the programme in
time their role is highly felt in this regard. They are to be encouraged and given the facility
to devise and try out innovative ideas on instruction and to participate in service education
programmes. In this context, it can be visualized that educational administration should aim
at developing a desire for hard work, dedication and commitment for their job among
teachers.
4. To organize educational programmes for acquainting students with the art of democratic
living and giving them excellent training in democratic citizenship.
5. To mobilize the community:
Like general administration, educational administration seeks to maintain and improve the
relations with the community. For this it should seek community support and co-operation
for quantitative expansion, qualitative improvements, smooth and fair examination in the
educational system.
6. To organize co-curricular activities effectively for developing talents of students and work
efficiency of educational teachers.
7. To get the work done:
The most important objective of administration is to get the work done effectively,
efficiently and with satisfaction to the individuals and benefits to the society.
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8. To prepare students for taking their places in various vocations and avenues of life.
9. To train the students in developing scientific attitude and objective outlook among them
towards all aspects and activities of life.
10. To ensure qualitative improvement of education:
Good education can be provided to students by bringing qualitative improvement in
instruction. Regular supervision of teaching and guidance of teachers help to ensure quality
teaching in schools.
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Q.3 We came away with the belief that the administrative functions are the scope of educational administration. It is important to identify the task areas of the educational administrator. What are the main tasks areas of educational administration that we need to identify?
Answer:
Educational Management is a multi-faced activity. It is a social process that is designed to
ensure co-operation participation, intervention and involvement of others in the effective
achievement of given or determined objectives.
Management, being a social process, lays its major emphasis on the interaction of people,
mar inside and outside the institutions and people above and below one’s
operational position. Thereto% aims and objectives of educational management have to be
understand from the above dimension,
Several attempts have been made by Early Childhood Education Training to define aims
and objectives of educational management different terms. Broadly the objectives:
- To define the functions of the school.
- To plan for the future and arrange the plan of operation.
- To organize/build up the material and human resources required for proper running of the school
- To command the staff both teaching and non-teaching to do their work efficiently
- To co-ordinate the functions of various human elements and correlate all the activities.
- To control and to ensure everything is done in accordance with the rules which have been down and the instructions which have been given.
- To create environment and facilities for educational research etc.
Functions of Educational Management/Administration
There are seven clearly defined functions of educational management which throw more
light on viz. planning, organization, direction, control, co-ordination, evaluation and
reporting. There are seven clearly defined functions of educational management which
throw more believe it viz. planning, organization, direction, control, co-ordination,
evaluation and reporting.
Planning
Planning is the crucial step in the educational management. An unplanned
management/administration will not go very far. Only a planned approach can achieve the
desired. Planning should precede every performance.
Organisation
It is the fundamental task in every administration. Organization is the machine for getting
thing done. It mainly concerned with provision, arrangement, and manpower, which enable
the administration to carry out its functions. In fact administration works through the
available organization.
Direction
It is the process of guiding the human efforts and achieving aims/objectives. Direction
represents leadership; which has a key role to play in administrative. This is the authority,
which direct thing done direction shows the way. It channelizes the entire organization
towards the common goal. In administration there is always the involvement of number of persons,. Different
functionaries of the machinery are made to pursue the common goal by proper control
failing which they pull in different directions.
Co-ordination
It is the process of harmonizing in a uniform way all the elements-the persons, materials
and services so as to interweave them to achieve a common objective. For this purpose the
management should clearly define (1) division of labour (2) allocation of tasks and control &
supervision over the Die human or material elements and establishing good
rapport/relationship between them.
Evaluation
It is the process of formulating judgment i.e. stocktaking of an administration. Since
administration is a dynamic process, it has to be reviewed from time to time examining the
extent to which objectives have been achieved, and reasons for failures Proper evaluation
enable the management to understand its own strengths and weaknesses and planning for
introduction of better techniques or discovery of new knowledge or processes.
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Q.4 Explain the central bodies of educational administration that play important role in administration.
Answer:
An education system with government as the major investor and social partners as coinvestors.
In current stage, local government is playing a key role in compulsory education,
while central and provincial government are dominant in higher education. In occupational
and adult education, social partners including industrial organizations, businesses and
public institutions are playing a more and more important role. Ministry of Education of PRC
is the supreme education administration body in China, which is responsible for carrying out
related laws, regulations, guidelines and policies of the central government; planning
development of education sector; integrating and coordinating educational initiatives and
programs nationwide; maneuvering and guiding education reform countrywide.
Since 1978, Chinese government has promulgated such codes as Degree Statute of the
People's Republic of China, Law of Compulsory Education of the People's Republic of China,
Law of Teachers of the People's Republic of China, Law of Protection over Juveniles of the
People's Republic of China, Education Law of the People's Republic of China, Statute for
Teacher's Eligibility and Law of Higher education of the People's Republic of China, and
released more than ten sets of education administration regulations. The Ministry of
Education, within its jurisdiction, has issued more than 200 sets of administrative rules and
regulations, significantly facilitating development of education of different natures.
With regard to education budget, financial allocation is still the major source, while multiple
fund channels have been opened up. At present, fund needed by schools directly controlled
by the central government comes from the central financial pool; schools controlled by local
governments are supported by local finance; schools sponsored by township and villageship
governments and by public institutions are mainly financed by the sponsor institutions and
subsidized by local governments; funds needed by schools operated by social partners and
celebrities are raised by the sponsors themselves (including collecting tuition from students
and soliciting contributions). In addition to these sources, the central government is
advocating work-study programs, aiming at improving the education conditions through
premium services.
Education administrators are employed in universities and colleges, schools, preschools, and
daycare centres. They manage routine activities and provide instructional leadership at
these institutions. They may also be employed at businesses, museums, correctional
facilities, and community service organizations to direct their educational programs.
What does an Education Administrator do?
School administrators work in every level of education. They may direct programming, hire
and supervise staff, manage budgets, and make decisions that affect the academic
community. They are also in charge of developing a direction and mission for the facility at
which they work.
The actual specific job functions for an education administrator will vary depending on the
institution of employment. For schools, this job is usually the role of a principal or assistant
principal. For private schools and businesses, the job may be as a director of programs or
head master. Libraries and museums often employ administrators as instruction
coordinators. For colleges and universities, education administrators are employed at all
levels of the management structure — as admissions officers, department heads, and as
deans and provosts.
Making policies and procedures and setting educational aims and standards is the
responsibility of an education administrator. They act as a supervisor for managers and
support other faculty, such as librarians, coaches, teachers, and aids. In small organizations,
such as a daycare, there may be only one administrator in charge of all these duties. At
larger institutions, such as universities or large school systems, several administrators share
the workload, each having a specific responsibility. Education administrator's responsibilities
include:
- handling relations with parents, students, employers, and the community
- managing budgets and ensuring financial systems are followed
- overseeing record-keeping
- managing student services such as guidance programs
- training, supervising, and motivating faculty including teachers and auxiliary staff
- working on committees including academic boards, governing bodies and task groups
- assisting with recruitment, public or alumni relations and marketing activities
- providing administrative support to an academic team of lecturers, tutors or teachers
- drafting and interpreting regulations and dealing with queries and complaints procedures
- maintaining high levels of quality assurance, including course evaluation and course approval procedures
- contributing to policy and planning
- purchasing goods and equipment, as required, and processing invoices
- liaising with partner institutions, other institutions, external agencies, government departments and prospective students
- organizing and facilitating a variety of educational or social activities
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Please Check Solutions to Other B. ed Assignments (Spring 2018)
Q.5 What is the difference between the administrative structure of public/government and private schools? Explain the functions of an educational administrative office.
Answer:
Which is better: Private school or public school? It's a question many parents ask as they
consider where their children should go to school. There are generally six factors for a
family to consider when determining which is right for them.
1. FACILITIES
Many public school facilities are impressive; others are mediocre. The same is true of private
schools. Private school facilities reflect the success of the school's development team and
that of the school to continue to generate financial support from parents and alumni.
Some private K-12 schools have facilities and amenities which surpass those found at many
colleges and universities. Hotchkiss and Andover, for example, have libraries and athletic
facilities on a par with those at Brown and Cornell. They also offer academic and sports
programs which make full use of all those resources. It is hard to find comparable facilities
in the public sector. They are few and far between.
Public schools also reflect the economic realities of their location. Wealthy suburban schools
will have more amenities than inner-city schools as a rule. Think Greenwich, Connecticut
versus Detroit, Michigan, for example. The most important factor to consider is, what does
your child need to succeed? If your son is an aspiring football player, than a school with
great athletic facilities and coaching staffs will be a top priority.
2. CLASS SIZE
According to the NCES report, Private Schools: A Brief Portrait, private schools win out on
this issue. Why? Most private schools have smaller class sizes. One of the key points of private education is individual attention. You need student/teacher ratios of 15:1 or better
to achieve that goal of individual attention. Many private schools boast class sizes of 10-15
students with 7:1 student-teacher ratios. On the other hand, a public system is a challenge
that private schools don't: they have to enroll almost anyone who lives within its
boundaries. In public schools you will generally find much larger class sizes, sometimes
exceeding 35-40 students in some inner city schools. If the teacher is a strong teacher with a
well-behaved class, this can be a suitable learning environment. But a student who is easily
distracted may need something different.
3. QUALITY OF TEACHERS
Teacher salaries can make a difference in the quality of teachers, as can the methods for
hiring. Public sector teachers are generally better paid and have superior pension programs.
Naturally, compensation varies widely depending on the local economic situation. Put
another way, it's cheaper living in Duluth, Minnesota than it is in San Francisco.
Unfortunately, low starting salaries and small annual salary increases result in low teacher
retention in many public school districts. Public sector benefits have historically been
excellent; however, health and pension costs have risen so dramatically since 2000 that
public educators will be forced to pay or pay more for their benefits.
Private school compensation tends to be somewhat lower than public.
Again, much depends on the school and its financial resources. One private school benefit
found especially in boarding schools is housing and meals, which accounts for the lower
salary. Private school pension schemes vary widely. Many schools use major pension
providers such as TIAA-CREF
Both public and private schools require their teachers to be credentialed. This usually means
a degree and /or a teaching certificate. Private schools tend to hire teachers with advanced
degrees in their subject over teachers who have an education degree. Put another way, a
private school hiring a Spanish teacher will want that teacher to have a degree in Spanish
language and literature as opposed to an education degree with a minor in Spanish.
4. Budgets
Since local property taxes support the bulk of public education, the annual school budget
exercise is a serious fiscal and political business. In poor communities or communities which
have many voters living on fixed incomes, there is precious little room to respond to budget
requests within the framework of projected tax revenue. Grants from foundations and the
business community are essential to creative funding.
Private schools, on the other hand, can raise tuition, and they also can raise significant
amounts of money from a variety of development activities, including annual appeals,
cultivation of alumni and alumnae, and solicitation of grants from foundations and
corporations. The strong allegiance to private schools by their alumni makes the chances of
fund-raising success a real possibility in most cases.
5. ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT
The bigger the bureaucracy, the harder it is to get decisions made at all, much less get them
made quickly. The public education system is notorious for having antiquated work rules
and bloated bureaucracies. This is as a result of union contracts and host of political
considerations.
Private schools on the other hand generally have a lean management structure. Every dollar
spent has to come from operating income and endowment income. Those resources are
finite. The other difference is that private schools rarely have teacher unions to deal with.
6. COST
A major factor in determining what's right for your family is the cost. Not just of tuition, but
in terms of time and commitment. Most private schools require students be driven to and
from school and there are significant obligations for students to participate in activities
outside of normal school hours. This means a lot of hours and miles for families every week
to make it happen. A family needs to weigh the financial costs, time investment and other
factories So, who comes out on top? Public schools or private schools? As you can see,
there are no clear-cut answers or conclusions. Public schools have their advantages and
disadvantages. Private schools offer an alternative. Which works best for you? That's a
question you'll have to answer for your own family.
Functions of an educational administrative office:
Education administrators often work within the central administrative (academic registrars)
department and for individual faculties, departments and sections of universities and
colleges of further and higher education. Opportunities also arise within private, tertiary and
specialist training colleges. There is no ‘typical' job profile: administrators may have student
recruitment, funding, quality assurance, marketing, or public relations roles, or they may be
responsible for budgetary/financial administration, project management or human
resources management. Many work in a general capacity – undertaking tasks from all of
these areas.
Typical responsibilities of the job include:
- handling correspondence
- organizing and servicing committee and academic board meetings (producing agendas, taking minutes etc)
- researching and writing reports
- preparing statistics and handling data, such as attendance figures
- processing invoices
- purchasing equipment/other goods
- liaising with potential students, other institutions, government departments and external organizations
- helping with course approval and evaluation activities
- formulating and implementing regulations/policies
- timetabling and planning events
- administering and coordinating student recruitment, examinations and assessment activities