Introduction

1.1. Meaning of school administration

1.2. Difference between administration, supervision & management

1.3. Educational administration and school administration

1.4. Nature, aims, objectives and principles of school Administration

1.1. Meaning of school administration

School Administration is…

 Planning, directing, organizing, and controlling human or material resources in an educational setting.

 

School administration officers oversee the daily operations of schools, colleges, universities, day care centers and preschools. A school administrator's specific responsibilities differ between organizations, but often these administrators are an important link between students and local communities.

School administration is a broad field that encompasses almost any topic related to the operating of an academic institution, from managing a preschool to developing university doctorate programs.

School administration includes four things:

1) Administration of students

2) Administration of educators and education personnel, as well as organization

3) Financial administration

 4) Administrative facilities working paper,

5) The administration of schools with community relations,

6) Administrative special services (guidance counseling, student health unit, cooperative unit school and extra-curricular activities

 

Major functions of administration:

1. Planning of school programs and activities

2. Directing school work and formulating and executing educational policies

3. Coordinating administrative and supervisory activities

4. Providing the necessary leadership

5. Evaluating the teaching personnel and school program

6. Keeping records and reporting results

1.2. Difference between administration, supervision & management

The differences between administration, management, and supervision can best be explained in terms of organizational hierarchy, often depending upon the size of the organization or business. Administration refers to the top or higher-level personnel within an organization who establish policies intended to guide the organization’s direction. Administrators determine overall objectives and issue parameters, such as budgetary restraints, within which the rest of the organization must function. Management and supervision tend to be merged in practice in smaller organizations. In larger businesses or other types of organizations, however, management and supervision represent two different levels within the institutional hierarchy. Management usually oversees the functioning of various departments within the broader organization and is responsible for ensuring that each department or sector is moving in the proper direction towards achieving the goals set forth by administrative officers.

Supervision can be viewed as a subset of management in that supervisors are generally part of an organization’s management structure. Whereas managers oversee broader ranges of activity within the organization, however, supervisors operate lower to the ground, just above the employees physically performing the labor or other tasks required to accomplish departmental objectives.

Even though supervision is assigned quite specific tasks within the area of administration, it is considered an integral part of it. Supervision must be primarily a non-managerial service within the total responsibilities of administration.

Supervision means overseeing the performance of a person or a group. It consists of developing skills and acknowledge of the employed workers. Supervision means to check the performance of workers and to guide them accordingly. As compared to administration is used to implement the policies, rules and techniques passed by management.

Administration is the process of overseeing a company’s overall performance. It is concerned with managing different departments, ensuring that goals are achieved. Supervision is a managerial process that involves monitoring a person’s performance. It is concerned with managing a group of people towards delivery of specific goals. The administrator is responsible for the supervisor while the supervisor answers to the administrator. Supervisor is the work maintainer and processor if any employee has problem issue so they consult with supervisor then the supervisor report to administrator and try to clear the problem, supervisor is the responsible for employee and administrator is the responsible for all.

Administration involves follow up set procedures and processes in a system and supervision involves to watching over those in the administration or any type of worker, administration is what runs a school but also looks up to a supervisor.

Comparison between Management & Administration

Basis For Comparison	Management	Administration
Meaning	An organized way of managing people and things of a business organization is called the Management.	The process of administering an organization by a group of people is known as the Administration.
Authority	Middle and Lower Level	Top level
Role	Executive	Decisive
Area of operation	It works under administration.	It has full control over the activities of the organization.
Applicable to	Profit making organizations, i.e. business	Government offices, military, clubs, business enterprises, Hospitals, religious and educational organizations.
Decides	Who will do the work? And How will it be done?	What should be done? And When is should be done?
Work	Putting plans and policies into actions.	Formulation of plans, framing policies and setting
Focus on	Managing work	Making best possible allocation of limited resources.
Key person	Manager	Administrator
Represents	Employees, who work for remuneration	Owners, who get a return on the capital invested by

 

Interrelation of administration & supervision

ADMINISTRATION	SUPERVISION
represents the whole of the education system	a portion of it in terms of improving the total teaching-learning situation
emphasizes authority	Service
favorable condition essential to good teaching and learning; (provides) -	carries out the better operation and improving it (operates
decides, directs and orders the execution of educational program; (directs)	-assists, advises, guides and leads the operation and improving the program (serves)

 

1. Educational administration and school administration

School administration and education administration are intimately related. In fact, school administration follows the same principles as followed by educational administration, which is concerned with the administration of education at various levels i.e. central level, state level, local level etc. School administration is concerned with the administration of education primarily at the school level.

School administration involves the management of all school operations, from creating a safe learning environment to managing the school budget. To further define school administration, one needs to consider the different areas of school administration and who performs these school administrative duties.

School administrators are the professionals who, as a whole, carry out these different administrative tasks that keep a school running smoothly. At elementary, middle, and high schools, school administration is typically led by a principal and, depending on the school, may also include assistant principals, instructional coordinators, athletic directors, and other support staff. School administrators could also be superintendents, who help oversee multiple schools in a district.

School administration may, therefore be define, as the process of integrating the efforts of the school personnel, i.e., the members of the staff, the students and their parents and of utilising appropriate materials, i.e., the school plant, school property, etc., in such a way as to promote effectively the development of human qualities as envisaged by educational philosophy based on the ideas of socialism, secularism and democracy. It is concerned with the growth of the pupils and the school personnel.

Educational Administration Meaning and Nature

Administration is machinery through which any organization or institution can be managed. It is a mean set up for a smooth and efficient working of educational structure. Educational administration is the direction, control and management of all matters pertaining to school affairs. Direction is the leadership within the community and the school system. Control and management are the means for realization of purposes defined in educational planning. Education is in the control of the state as certain controls are at the state level in the form of constitutional provisions, enactments and also as executive activities. Management designates a broad function, which the responsibilities related to the school, pupils, teachers and other affairs related to the school.

Russel T. Gregg defines, “Educational administration is the process of utilizing appropriate materials in such a way as to promote effectively the development of human qualities. It is concerned not only with the development of children and youth but also with the growth of adults and particularly with the growth of school personnel.

Good’s Dictionary of Education defines educational administration as, “All those techniques and procedures employed in operating the educational organization in accordance with established policies.”

Educational administration is concerned with the dealing and also coordinating the activities of groups of people. It is the dynamic side of education. Educational administration deals with the educational practices. It is planning, directing controlling, executing and evaluating the educative process.

The scope of educational administration is very vast. It includes every thesis regarding the efficient functioning of the educational institutions, securing the greatest benefits to the greatest number through an adoption of practical measures. It interprets and clarifies the functions and the activities educational program in fruitful relationship and also harmonizes their mutual action. It ensures sound educational planning, good direction and efficient and systematic execution.

A good administration is one, which exhibits human activity at its best. The ingredients of good administration are:

1. Associated performance-Human beings work in close collaboration and there is sharing of responsibilities.

2. Organized purpose-well-defined purposes are achieved through sharing of responsibilities.

3. Creativity-through dynamic approach. The group proceeds towards it goal.

4. Achievement – the feeling of achievement makes an administrator to take more efforts to achieve perfection. Administration also involves different kinds of activities to achieve its purpose and to perform the functions related to it.

a) Importance of Educational Administration

The purpose of educational administration is to enable an organization or an institution to carry out its functions with maximum efficiency. It also enables the right pupils to receive the right education and from the right teachers at a cost which should be within the means of state, and which will enable the pupils to profit from their learning. The basic purpose is to bring students and teachers together under such conditions which will successfully promote the end of the education. The major purposes are:

i) To frame well-defined policies and programs so that teaching, learning situation results in the growth and development of human beings.

ii) To make use of appropriate materials to bring about the effective development of human qualities.

iii) To execute the programs and activities of the organization so that its objectives may be achieved.

iv) To assure the growth of children and adults and all the people involved in the management.

The other important purposes are:

1. Achievement of Goals

Educational Administration is not a goal in itself rather it is the means to achieve goals. It must serve the aims of education. If education is a tool for social transformation, it must inculcate and generate a sense of identification and a sense of one’s fellow beings. Educational Administration is concerned with human and material resources. The human elements are pupils, parents, teachers and other employees in general at different levels. On the material side, there are money buildings, equipments and instructional supplies. Beyond these two elements are ideas, curricula, courses of study, methods, principles, laws and regulations, community needs, and so on. The integration of these parts as a whole is a challenge for the Administrator; rather these should be effectively used to achieve the goals of education.

2. Economy

The administrative setup should check that human material resource should be economically used to achieve maximum benefits. Wastage of any, resource should be avoided. Education in the developing countries is consistently administered poorly. It involves extraordinarily high monetary cost and lacks in planning and coordination. For the most efficient mobilization of a country resource, it is very important that the plans for the development of economy and for developing human resources should be coordinated.

3. Conservation of Resources

From the standpoint of economic development three factors are of basic importance i.e. natural resources, physical capital and human resources. Natural resources are not only determining factor in economic development. Investment is directly related to economic development but varies greatly in its effectiveness. The problem is not only to bring about an increase in the share of natural produce, but also to bring about a more desirable allocation of investment. To make full use of capital investment, a qualified managerial, engineering and labour force is essential for selection, operation and maintenance of such investments. Therefore, to bring about development using education, it is desirable to conserve the three types of resources.

4. Optimum use of Resources

These resources should be used in such a way that one should get the maximum benefit out of them for good and efficient administration.

b) Scope of Educational Administration

Fayol considered administration as a way to plan, to organize, to command, to co-ordinate and to control education.

Planning is an intellectual activity, which is performed on the basis of facts and principles. It plans its activities in such a way that the objectives for which it has come into existence can be achieved. To organize the means of arrangements, by which interrelationship along with order for people, materials, procedure, knowledge and the work can be done.

Command or to direction involves the execution of plans and decisions and makes the staff do their work.

Coordination requires harmonizing in a unified manner all the elements involved in the programme. It seeks the cooperation of all who are involved in the administration.

By control we can see that everything is carried out in accordance with the rules, which have been laid down in the instructions, in other words, it is evaluations.

Fayol’s idea was further developed by Gulick and Urwick. The formula of the functions of administration was referred to as POSDCORB, involving.

Planning:

The establishment of the formal structure of authority, through which work subdivisions are arranged, defined and coordinated for defined objectives.

Organizing:

The establishment of the formal structure of authority, through which work subdivisions are arranged, defined and coordinated for defined objectives.

Staffing:

The personnel function of brining in and training the staff and maintaining favorable conditions for work.

Directing:

It is a continuous task of making decisions and also deciding on specific and general orders and instructions and serving as the teacher of enterprise.

Coordinating:

It is the important aspect of inter-relating the various parts of the work.

Reporting:

Keeping the those records of who are answerable to executive and also to inform him about what is going on, and keeping himself and his subordinate informed through records research and inspection.

Budgeting:

It is the financial planning, accounting and control.

 

Planning:

It involves the identification and classification of objectives and scope of operation. It also investigates to reveal the condition which is affecting the achievement of objectives.

Organizing:

Organization means taking those steps by which, the people who are involved in administration remain in cooperative manner with each other and are prepared to contribute their best to the joint activity of their talents and their energies are optimally utilized.

Decision Making:

It is the art of executive decision to be taken on pertinent questions which are not pre-mature and which can be effective and can be put into action.

Stimulating:

A successful administrator makes all efforts to provide stimulation to the member of the organization in order to get their cooperation spontaneously to achieve the goals. He avoids the exercise of authority. He does not give specific direction but helps them to attain the highest level of creativity.

Coordinating:

It s the brining up of appropriate relationships between people and the thing which are necessary for the organization to achieve the objectives and involves the allotment of duties and responsibilities also help the organization of all activities of the individuals.

Communicating:

It is process by which direct-information, ideas, explanations and questions are transmitted from person to person or from group to group. There are three channels of communication process:

1. Upward Communication is from teachers to the principals to district officials and to directorate etc.

2. Horizontal Communication, which runs along the same level of workers and enables the colleagues to be conversant with activities of the organization. There is no situation of subordination or superiority.

3. Downward Communication, where the flow of communication ideas, suggestions and commands, are from senior officers towards juniors. xvi

 

Evaluating:

In this process whatever activities are performed, are put to test in order to find out the extent by which they provided success in the accomplishment of set goals. It is done to find out the weak spots and to make improvement in future by overcoming the deficiencies. Evaluation is done through cooperative studies, surveys, testing programs, opinion polls, etc.

The administrative set-up should also see that elasticity and dynamism are introduced in the working of the system. Education administration cannot be rigid and static. Experimentation, trial and errors have to be allowed freely in the administration of education. Freedom is the very soul of education. Educational administration should enjoy the freedom to frame aims and ideals and put them into practice. There should be a change in the attitude of administrators who should cultivate openness of mind and a spirit of enquiry rather than a rule of the thumb approach, which tried to stick to, established practices even though they are meaningless. The practice of holding periodic reviews at least every three to five years is an important administrative practice to discard the old and introduce new practices, Inter-state contact should be built up and comparative analysis of different state practices should be encouraged. The evolution of the techniques of the detailed programming of the planned projects and by giving training in them should be the responsibility of the national Institute of Educational Planners and Administrators. The officer-oriented system where most of the work will be done by the officers at their own level should be practiced.

1. Nature, aims, objectives and principles of school Administration

School Administration is… in an educational setting Planning, organizing,directing, and controlling human or material resources

Scope of school administration

1. Administration of school personnel -includes all policies, activities and practices of the administration and staff designed to increase the effectiveness of teaching personnel.

2. School finance and budget management -includes the financing of the school system, the sources of funds and the estimated expenditures.

3. School plant management -these resources cover the planning and organization of school facilities and buildings to ensure that the school environment is safe, stimulating and effectively managed.

4. Curriculum organization and management -includes the process of selecting curriculum elements from the subject, the current social life and the students' experience, then designing the selected curriculum elements appropriately so that they can form the curriculum structure and type

5. Guidance and discipline - includes the system of rules, punishments and behavioral strategies appropriate to the regulation of children and the maintenance of order in schools. its aim is to control the students actions and behavior.

6. School and community relation - those persons or group of persons who are associated in the institutions involved in organized teaching and learning system.

Members and elements of educational community: 1. Parents or guardians or the head of the institution 2. Students 3. School personnel (a. teaching or academic staff b. school administrator’s c. academic non-teaching personnel d. non-academic personnel) 4. School institutions

7. Evaluating results of school administration - includes organized school-based educational activities aimed at attaining specific learning objectives for a particular clientele, especially the illiterate adults and out-of-school youths. - includes evaluation of desirable school and teaching personnel performance as outcomes of policies, activities and practices of administration and staff.

School administration involves the management of all school operations, from creating a safe learning environment to managing the school budget. To further define school administration, one needs to consider the different areas of school administration and who performs these school administrative duties.

School administrators are the professionals who, as a whole, carry out these different administrative tasks that keep a school running smoothly. At elementary, middle, and high schools, school administration is typically led by a principal and, depending on the school, may also include assistant principals, instructional coordinators, athletic directors, and other support staff. School administrators could also be superintendents, who help oversee multiple schools in a district.

These functions can be encapsulated into the following 5 functions:

1. Planning: is the process of setting objectives and determining the actions in order to achieve them. Planning is anticipatory in nature and sets priorities. It is proactive rather than passive.

Planning asks the following questions: What? When? Where? By whom? How? while following a series of steps:

 

Defining Objectives (setting objectives or goals)

↓

Determining the current status with respect to the objectives (being aware of opportunities)

↓

Determining planning premises (analyzing the situation for external factors and forecasting future trends; generation of future scenarios)

↓

Identifying alternative (best alternative to accomplish the objectives)

↓

Choosing an alternative (selecting the course of action to be pursued)

↓

Formulating support plans (arranging for human and material resources)

↓

Implementing the plan (action stage which also involves evaluation)

2. Organizing: is the process of combining the work which individuals or groups have to perform with facilities necessary for its execution such that the duties performed provide the best channels for efficient, systematic, positive and co-ordinate application of available effort.

Organizing is characterized by:

Division of work or specialization: Activities are assigned to different people who are specialists in that area, for specialization improves efficiency.

Orientation towards goals: it harmonizes the individual goals of employees with the overall goals of the institution.

Composition of individuals and groups: individuals are grouped into departments and their work is coordinated and directed towards organizational goals.

Differentiated functions: the entire work is divided and assigned to individuals so that the organization’s objectives are achieved. While each individual performs a different task, each one also coordinates with the tasks of others.

Continuous process: groups of people with defined relationships with each other work together to achieve the goals of the organization. These relationships do not end once the task is completed.

Delegation of authority: the levels of hierarchy are determined and the span of control is determined via formal relationships.

Establishing a communication channel: for effective decision making, coordination, control, supervision and feedback, motivation and redressing problems or grievances encountered.

3. Directing: is the art or process of influencing people such that they willingly strive to achieve group goals. It focuses on the development of willingness to work with zeal and confidence, provides adequate guidelines to complete the task, and motivates individuals to achieve goals in a coordinated manner. It also focuses on exercising leadership while determining responsibility and accountability.

4. Controlling: involves measuring and monitoring performance in accordance with plans and taking corrective action when required. It establishes performance standards based on the objectives, measures and reports actual performance compares the two and takes corrective or preventive action as necessary.

Thus controlling indicates the quantum of goals achieved, the extent of deviation from actual plans, generates accurate information and requisite feedback. Thus controlling focuses upon the difference between planned and actual performance.

Controlling is especially concerned with the areas of Institutional Budget (finance in terms of income and expenditure), Institutional Supplies (stationery and material equipment), Library (maintenance and up gradation), Teaching-learning Process, Accounts and School Records and Discipline (staff and students).

5. Evaluating: is the process of measuring and assessing the achievement of objectives while providing an insight into strengths and weaknesses and planning for future endeavors.

Evaluation helps determine the effectiveness of plans for both administrators and other stakeholders like teachers, staff, students and parents, as also the extended community. It seeks

to document the objectives that have been met and to provide information to all concerned stakeholders regarding achievement, obstacles and corrective action or improvements.

Thus evaluation focuses upon Process (how is the plan being carried out), Outcome (achievement of objectives), and Impact (effect of the plans initiated).

In an educational setting, evaluation of the following areas is carried out, namely,

Goals and Objectives

Content: Selection, Validity, Relevance, Appropriateness

Processes: teacher activities, pupil activities, instructional material, teaching methods

Outcome: Assessment and Feedback