MY SCHOOL by Dr .Nilesh Gopal das Joshi (beginner reading books for adults .txt) 📕

Chapter: 4 Organizational Process in Schools

Organizational Process in Schools

Organizing, like planning, must be a carefully worked out and applied process. This process involves determining what work is needed to accomplish the goal, assigning those tasks to individuals, and arranging those individuals in a decision-making framework. The end result of the organizing process is an organization- a whole consisting of unified parts acting in harmony to execute tasks to achieve goals, both effectively and efficiently.

A properly implemented organizing process should result in a work environment where all team members are aware of their responsibilities. If the organizing process is not conducted well, the results may yield confusion, frustration, loss of efficiency, and limited effectiveness.

Meaning of Organization (School Organization)

Sears: J. B. Sears considers organization as a machine for doing work. It may be composed primarily of persons, of materials, of ideas, of concepts, symbols, forms, rules, principles or more often, of a combination of these. The machine may work automatically or its operation may be subject to human judgement and will.

Elsbree: “Organization of a school is the administrative expression of educational theory.”

Ryburn: “Organization simply means the practical measures which we take to ensure that the system of work we use will be of the greatest possible assistance in carrying out our aims and of the greatest benefit to our children.”

Stead: Prof. H. G. Stead stated that the organization is an agency by which we achieve the desired objectives.

Organization stands for a structure, framework, system, organized body, assortment, organism, a set or collection. It is concerned with the process of regulations, forms, calenders, schedules, material equipment, libraries, laboratories, workshops, museums, art galleries, lawns, playgrounds and other facilities of work. Thus organization has three aspects:

Organization of Material Equipment

It involves organization of building, campus, grounds, accommodation, furniture, fittings, libraries, laboratories, workshops etc. It implies arrangement of each physical facility in such a way that each item can be most efficiently used and no wastage takes place. Equipment will be proportionate to the number of students and nature of school programmes.

Organization of Human Equipment

It involves organization of students, teaching staff, ministerial staff, experts, board of managements etc. It is the organization and mobilization of all the persons who are legitimately concerned and interested in teaching-learning and other educational activities. All the persons engaged in the task have to be organized in such a way that each member may contribute his best in the joint activity and collective responsibility. This organization has to ensure the effective and harmonious utilization of their talents and energies.

Organization of Ideas and Principles

The desirable ideas and principles are organized and translated into school systems, time schedules, norms of achievement, rules and regulations, curricular and co-curricular programmes. This aspect of organization caters to policy framing, drawing up priorities, working out innovations, and institutional programmes for improvements and reforms.

Organizational Process in Schools

Organizations can be seen as instruments designed to achieve specified goals through co-ordinated action. Organizational action is supposed to generate certain outcomes, and these outcomes can and should be evaluated and compared between organizations. Organizations develop a set of norms, rules and routines that play an important role in guiding everyday action.

Organizational actions reflect values, interests, beliefs and expectations that are relatively stable and persistent. Perceptions are also developed within the organization regarding how various tasks should be solved and how good results can be achieved. Organizations are capable of constant adaptation to policy signals, reactions and changes in the external environment.

School organization refers to how schools arrange the resources of time, space and personnel for maximum effect on student learning. Every aspect of the instructional programme will convey the values and goals of the staff toward students and their learning.

Need for School Organization

School organization facilitates the achievement of organizational goals and maintaining the organization for the progress of education. We need school organization for the following reasons:

Constant Process of Change

School education is in a constant process of change. There is always a need to facilitate student learning in a specified direction in this changing process. School organization, which includes the management of teaching, planning and supervision of instruction, can help to achieve the goal of student learning. Therefore, we need school organization to achieve the above goals.

Goal Development

The educational system is a sub-system of the society. Therefore, the society not only provides human and material resources, but also has certain expectations that the schools will achieve certain goals.Since society is in a constant process of change, the needs of society change and so do the goal specifications. It is essential for the educational institutions to be responsive to these changing expectations through school organization. School organization helps the teachers and others who are concerned with school education to continuously examine and evaluate the progress of education in a changing society.

Aims and Objectives of School Organization

The rapid expansion of knowledge both in content of subject matter and teaching methodology has important implications for school organization. Even though teachers are assumed to be professionally competent, they do need a highly specialized support system through school organization. School organization, being a specialized support system has the following aims and objectives:

Organizing the school for Democratic Living

Democracy is the government by the many. If the many are to rule themselves, and not by the dictator, they must be educated first. Thus, school in the modern society becomes a place for teaching students about democratic living. Therefore, the school should be organized in such a manner that it will enable the students to be inspired with the spirit of fellow-feeling, brotherhood and social service.

All-round Development of Students

All-round development of students continuing their studies in a school is the chief aim of school education. It provides opportunities to the students for the balanced development of their personality. Therefore, it is desirable to organize the school in a manner so as to develop the physical, mental, moral and social qualities of the students. The community establishes schools with a view to serve its own purpose by providing right training for citizenship.

The Study of the Students

The students constitute an important aspect of school organization. Student’s needs, hopes, aspirations, interests, achievement levels and attitudes are important sources of data for developing educational goals. This need to be studies on a comprehensive, intensive and continuous basis. Such study is an important aim of school organization. Since students are a part of society, the study of students contribute to the understanding of student’s needs.

To Follow Definite Procedure

In reaching a decision, school organization should spend much time on the what, the how, the when and the who. The procedure to be followed will be definite, even though the results may be in doubt. All the members of the staff should be encouraged to watch the results and participate in an evaluation.

Intended Engagement Opportunities

Intended engagement opportunities are the conditions which are developed in anticipation of the instructional process. The assumption is that the student can achieve certain behavioural objectives through a particular engagement like films and activities. These could be developed within or outside the school system. The planning and implementation for development of such activities is an important aim of school organization, which involves, students, teachers and administrators.

Curriculum Change

The school is a society in miniature. To bring the school and the community closer to each other, attempts must be made for curriculum change. Curriculum change should be initiated by school organization system t enable schools to undertake innovations in certain areas.

To Develop a Permissive Atmosphere

Permissiveness, means personal freedom to express a point of view or an idea without fear. The person who is different is encouraged to challenge, because out of that challenge comes more insight for all. Achieving this attitude is not easy. School aims at developing  a permissive atmosphere.

To Develop among Teachers a Sense of Belonging

Teachers should feel that they belong to the group in which they work. School organization should try to provide an atmosphere of free interaction to innovate ideas for the progress of students’ learning.

Help with Personal Problems

People will grow intellectually and professionally through interactions involved in solving educational problems. But, if they are deeply troubled with personal problems, their potential for growth is not released. Actions by school organization to reduce tension contributes to the progress of education.

Principles of School Organization

Educational thinkers have propounded the following principles for the maximum attainment of educational goals.

Child-centered Principle

Since education aims at the all-round development of the child, it is essential that school organization should be child-centred. As a result, it can help in developing student abilities, innate qualities, emotions, attitudes and natural traits.  The school organization should be such as to generate an atmosphere which may help the child in the development of his social, moral, physical and mental capabilities. To provide opportunity to every child for his optimum development, school activities should be properly organized.

Community-centred Principles

One of the objectives of education is to make the child an active, useful and worthy member of the society. Therefore, along with child-centred principle, community-centred principle should be adopted in schools. School organization should keep in view the developmental needs of the children as well as the community ideals, aspirations, needs, values and culture.

Democratic Principles:

The school prepares the future citizens and inculcates democratic values in them through school activities. The principles of co-operation and co-ordination in the entire school system can help the students to develop knowledge about democratic living. School organization should be planned in a manner that the headmaster, the teachers, the students, and other staff members work with team spirit.

Principle of optimum use of Available Resources

Education has certain objectives to be achieved. In order to achieve these objectives, optimum use of available resources must be made. The physical and human resources of the community should be used in such a manner that the items, money and energy are utilized effectively for proper organization of the schools. Recruitment of teachers, use of up-to-date teaching techniques, use of equipments, preparation of text books and construction of curriculum should be made in such a manner that they can   directed towards fulfilling the educational needs of the students and avoiding the misuse of time, energy and money.

Principle of Flexibility

Society id dynamic in nature. Since education aims at developing the faculties of the child in a manner that would help in the development of the society, it becomes necessary to effect changes in school organization from time to time.

Scope and Importance of School Organization

The scope of school organization is very vast. It includes efficiency of the institution, securing benefits of the school through practical measures, clarification of the functions of the school, coordination of the educational programs, sound educational planning, and good direction, efficient and systematic execution. It provides close collaboration and sense of sharing responsibilities, organized purpose and dynamic approach.

Any organization plays a vital role in the life of a human being. It plays different functions like: brings efficiency, guide pupil to receive right direction from the right teachers, enables the pupil to get profit from their learning, bring co-ordination of the student-teacher-parents-society. It provides well defined policies and programmes, favourable teaching-learning situation, growth and development of human beings, make use of appropriate materials, effective development of human qualities, arrangement of the activities, efforts for attainment of objectives etc.

School is a system and its successful functioning depends on systematic implementation of the following important procedures.

Academic planning Strategic planning is the process of identifying an organization’s long term goals and objectives and then determining the best approach for achieving those goals and objectives. The most important organizational function in an educational institution is planning of academic activities for an academic year since all other activities in school organization depends on its academic activities. Academic planning includes planning and approval of academic activities for the year, introduction of new academic programs, substantial changes to existing programs etc. The staff secretary or any senior teacher usually leads this process