3 Concept of Management with Special Reference to Education II

Structure

1.0     Objectives

1.1   Introduction

1.2     Need for education management

1.3     Significance of Education Management

1.4   Summary

1.0 Objectives

After going through the content the learner will be able to

• Discuss need of education management
• Discuss the significance of education management

1.1 Introduction

Management is not only considered as a process but it is also an academic discipline which keep helping ingenerating knowledge. The different processes of management like planning, organizing, controlling, delegating, staffing are integral part of any institution and it ensures smooth functioning of the institution. In the first part we discussed how the concept of management has evolved as well as levels of management. In this part we will be discussing need and significance of education management.

1.2 Need for education management

Indian society is extremely diverse in nature. It is culturally as well as socially diverse and therefore needs of the society are extremely different as compared to homogenous societies. With the advancement in technology and innovations in various knowledge fields the structures of societies are changing with rapid speed. Due to globalisation cultural changes, technological changes and societal changes are taking place at various parts of the world. These changes are changing the societal structures in general and education in particular. These changes influence education system. In order to understand and address these changes we need to make changes in our education system. For example, we are aware that the technological change has influenced the young generation the most. The students of young generation who are acquainted with the technology right from childhood have technological skills better than the teachers who belong to older generation. It is necessary to train teachers for developing competency related to using of technology. Technological changes not only influence training of teachers in use of technology but there is a need to provide required infrastructure to teachers.

Cultural changes have also influenced education system. In earlier times schools were part of small community. That time students from that particular community would come to school. Since these students were coming from same surroundings there was not much difference in their culture. The homogeneous culture helps in deciding assembly, holidays etc. the culture also contributes in the development of various habits, attitude, interest which is reflected through ones behaviour. Due to process of globalisation, we have students from different cultures in a school. Each student carries the family culture to school. The family culture definitely has the effect on personality of students. Therefore there is cultural diversity in the classrooms. In such a situation is there a need to make changes in teaching – learning process? Do we need to change the mental set up of the teachers? Do we have to think in wider perspective as a global citizen? Are the objectives of school education meeting the gaps between local and global? In order to answer these questions and reflect on ourselves, education management proves to be helpful. It helps in identifying the needs of teachers, students and society. The changing environment leads to impart new knowledge and skill to students.

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Read the following case carefully and answer the questions.

Shri Aslam Sheikh is a teacher in a school located in a small village. He is concerned about students’ learning and believes that technology is the best alternative available for students from rural area to upgrade knowledge, to keep pace with others and to make oneself a resourceful individual. He tried to convey management to purchase computers for school but they could install only 3-4 computers as per the government’s rules and regulations. Mr. Aslam read that there is an university in USA who wants to take up initiation in improving the condition of education in underdeveloped and developing countries by providing funds to schools. He communicated with them and finally they agreed to establish the digital infrastructure for the school. The teachers were provided training in order to make use of ICT in education. The students were very excited to do things on computer. They learn technical skills much faster than teachers do. They keep exploring resources for their studies. The team of university was keeping track of every activity. The next step was to provide quality inputs to students through experts in the field across the globe. The school principal called meeting of parents to convey the changed school timings and timetable and their cooperation in their wards’ learning. The new timing for school was from 3pm to 10 pm. Initially parents resist keeping their wards in school late night but later they agreed that in order to get knowledge from experts it is necessary. They decide their duties to take care of students after 6pm along with teachers. Now the students are connecting themselves to different teachers across globe. Especially they have many queries related to science. Initially for students understanding English was a challenge and European and American pronunciation was added challenge. Surprisingly students tried to understand English and started communication with faculty members from other countries. Now the students are more interactive and ask many questions to experts in order to get answers. Sometimes experts give them task of exploring the phenomenon which they enjoy. Mr. Sheikh is always very supportive and has sense of achievement.

• What is the main objective of Mr. Sheikh?
• How did the teacher encounter the situation?
• Identify the resources involved and explain the way the resources are managed by the school?

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Organisations are established by the society for achieving particular goal. For achieving goal manager needs understand the human behaviour, development of organisation and other things. Education management helps us to understand the different concepts which are associated with the management. For example, there are various theories of leadership. These theories of leadership talks about the leaders’ behaviour and the influence of leadership style on behaviour of teachers and ultimately contribute to the efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation. If the managers are aware about their own leadership style then he or she can make changes in her or his style or wherever required changes can be made. It is not necessary that every human being has same capacity or same temperament. Human beings have different temperament. If education manager is aware about different motivational theories it will help him or her to understand teachers and students. It can help in solving the problems in more constructive way so that democratic atmosphere can be maintained and everybody’s voice can be heard in the organisation. This is necessary for development of the organisation.

Therefore by understanding people managers not only understand their behaviour and the reasons for the behaviour but also own behaviour. Education management helps manager to apply various concepts of management, different theories of management and different aspects. This helps education managers to plan the activities in more systematic way. If manager knows which are the different activities to be conducted for the development of students then we can plan the activities in such a way that the student will be benefitted the most. For this we can take help from the parents and from the experts and other people who are ready to help the educational institution. This helps to make organisation more efficient and effective.

Every society expects that education institution should be proactive. Proactive means taking initiation to make changes in the society because the educational institution can have impact on larger society. Here educational institution means people who are working in the institution and people who are making policies. For example, in some part of Rajasthan there was no girl child born for last ten years as per the records. It cannot be a natural phenomenon because nature always tries to maintain the equilibrium. But it was a practice if girl child was born people used to kill her. As this was the practice followed in small community it remained unnoticed. There was a young teacher in this community and he got a baby girl. He decided to bring up girl child. Because he was a teacher community had respect for him. This behaviour of the teacher helped to bring about change in the community. The small effort by teacher to bring up the girl child changed the mind set of people. The small step by teacher helped to develop positive attitude towards girl child.

Education management also helps to prepare leaders. Leader is a relative term. Principal is the leader of the school. Teachers are leaders in the classroom; students have to perform as the leader in activities of the school. The leadership qualities can be developed in teachers as well as students. Therefore the knowledge of education management helps us to analyse and identify the potentialities of human beings and develop it so as to develop good leaders and managers.

1.3 Significance of Education Management

The knowledge of education management helps in developing the different processes in a systematic way viz.: planning, organising, staffing, controlling, delegating decision making etc. A person having the knowledge of these processes can work scientifically as a manager. Education management helps educational institution to perform in a systematic way. It also has contributed to achieve the goals of education at the wider level and at the specific level as well. When government of India has taken decision to implement right to education for children in the age group of 6-14 years of age, RTE 2009 act has been passed by parliament. The knowledge of education management will help us to achieve this goal. For example; when the state government collect the data about different types of students enrolled in schools. They get the data about students coming from different cultures, area and the students having different abilities. The state government can plan the policies for the students with different background such as those from rural area, Children with special needs, children who are affected by natural calamity etc.

Education management helps in developing conducive environment in the education institution. Conducive environment helps every individual develop his or her potentialities may it be teacher or students. Education management knowledge also helps significantly to understand the resource. Many times when there is a space which is not used by the school for any purpose. Principal can look at that space as a resource and he or she may think of converting this space into learning zone. Education management develops an insight about the resources. This insight helps education manager to consider everything in an institution as a resource and making appropriate use of it for institution development.

The knowledge also helps in making institution effective and efficient. The knowledge of education management helps manager to understand the needs and how they can achieve their goals through different processes. If these processes are carried out by an institution properly then they can easily achieve the goals.

The knowledge of education management helps leader to resolve the conflict, to cope with the stress, do time management. It also helps leaders to understand people. He or she can use the different techniques of conflict management, stress management and time management to handle the situation. Education management helps leader to understand his or her role. It will enable him or her to understand himself or herself and others.

1.4 Summary

Need of Education Management

• Indian society is diverse society. It is changing culturally, technologically, economically, politically and education is influenced by these changes. The education is expected to provide human beings with knowledge, attitude, values, and skills. Therefore education needs to be more dynamic so that national goals can be achieved.
• The purpose of Educational Management at institutional level is to create congenial environment for the attainment of objectives and aims knowledge of relevant management theories, principles, concepts, techniques, skills and strategies and their application to education system is necessary for its effective and efficient functioning and output.
• It is a need that education system should be more proactive (anticipating trend and working for development) rather than reactive.
• It helps in preparing leaders. The education institutes get managers from teachers only. Teachers who are good academician not necessarily are good managers. If they have knowledge of educational management then they can run institution successfully.

Significance of Management

• Education management helps in the achievement of institutions objectives i.e. it ensures college and school effectiveness.
• It improves planning, organizing and implementing an institutions activities and processes
• It helps in creating, maintaining and enhancing good public image of an institution
• It helps in enhancing the efficiency
• It facilitates optimum utilization of infrastructural facilities.
• It helps in creating conducive environment in institution.
• It helps human factors involved to manage their interpersonal conflicts, stress, time effectively
• It improves the communication process in the organization
• It enable principals to understand his role and carry out his function more effectively

Reference

• Aswathappa, K., (2008) Human resource management: Text and cases. Delhi: Tata McGraw-. Hill Publishing Company Limited,
• Bernadin,(2012) Human Resource Management , 8th edition ,Delhi: Tata Mcgraw
  Hill.
• Drucker, P.E. 1974. Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices. New York: Harper and Row
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• Mintzberg, H. (1973). The nature of managerial work. New York: Harper and Row
• Sharma M.(1985), Systems Approach : Its Application in Education, Bombay : Himalaya Publishing House
• Stoner J, Freeman (sixth edition)(2009), Management. New Delhi: Pearsons