INTRODUCTION
School organization is
a part of educational process in the country. A well organized school is the
backbone of the education. Since they are known as mini societies, their organization
plays an important role in developing the education among die masses. Students
of the school learn and acquire knowledge in the well organized school.
An organization is defined as the necessary combination of human efforts,
material equipments brought together in a systematic and effective correlation
to accomplish the desired results.
School
organization comes under the broader umbrella of school management. The school
management deals with the overall policy framing and ensuring the smooth
functioning of the school, while the school organization is about the actual
organization of resources, events, personnel of a school. In a school, we find
the distribution of work. Different people are assigned duties and made
responsible for the same. They are also given due powers to discharge their
duties effectively. The co-ordination between different personnel is also
ensured to organize the activities of the school properly. There is also a
clearly laid down organizational structure which exists in the school and which
also
help in effective organization of the school activities.
help in effective organization of the school activities.
Thus school
organization means
Ø Organization
of different types of activities of a school
Ø Organization
of Material resources of a school
Ø Organization
of a school personnel
Ø Organization
of Ideas and Principles into school system which includes building
relationships, creating conducive climate for work at the school etc.
School
Organization
Meaning of School Organization
School organization is a combination of
two words, via, school and organization. In order to understand the meaning of
school organization, it is essential to understand the meaning of school and
organization separately.
Meaning
and Definition of School
The term school has many different
meanings. Some people consider School as a place where the students utilize
their leisure hours profitably. Some regard it as a seat of learning; some
others believe that is a society in miniature. Some others interpret school as
the temple of Goddess Saraswati, where the students sit together forgetting all
their differences on the basics of caste, creed, colour and sex. Because of
such differences, the scholars define the term in the following manner.
John
Dewey
“The school is a special environment
where a certain quality of life and certain types of activities are provided with
the object of securing child’s development along desirable lines”.
Ryburn
“The school is a co-operative society,
a place where giving or taking of co-operation is experienced by all”.
Nunn
“The school must be thought of
primarily not as a place of learning where certain knowledge is learnt but as
place where young are disciplined in certain form of activity namely those that
are of the greatest and most permanent significance in the wider world”.
K.
G. Saiyidian
“The school is a centre of rigorous
life. It is an indirect intimate contact with the realities of life around,
reflecting the best and worthiest of its features which are simple enough to
appeal to the child”.
Meaning
and Definition of Organization
Organization means to bring into
existence. Organization is directly connected with planning and efforts made by
the people. It is a medium, through which goals and the objectives envisaged by
the administration are achieved. Administration is pre-executive stage while
actual execution occurs or should occur at the organizational level. It is the
coordinated activities of a group of persons constituting the organization to
lead the common goal.
Organizations are of two types, formal
and informal. The formal organization is one established by the external
authority. The positions held by the people in such an organization are determined
by some external authorities. For instance, a college has been established by
the state government or by some private enterprise. The positions in the
college that is, of the Principal, vice-principal, professors, readers and
lecturers or of ministerial staff are determined not by the workers in the
college but by the external authorities.
An informal organization grows out of a
formal organization or otherwise on account of the interpersonal relationships
of the group. There is a common affinity among the members of the formal
organization. Each member of the group is able to interact with every other
member of the group. The group is formed voluntarily to achieve certain
objectives. The group develops its own structure or technique of working. There
is no hierarchical order in the group. They are all more or less equal in all
respects expect for doing their assignments allotted by the group itself.
Organization can also be interpreted in
another two ways: For example, when we say that this school is under D. A. V.
Organization, the organization refers to a body or a controlling organization.
When we say the organization of the school is up to the mark, we mean setting
up of things. Thus, organization is concerned with the pre- execution stage of
a school. It is a stage when all arrangements of a school are made available.
The term organization has been defined as:
J.
B. Sears
“It
is 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”.
W.
H. Ryburn
“Organization simply means the
practical measure 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.”
Elsbrel
“Organisation of the school is the
administrative expression of educational theory”
When we combine the two terms, school
and organization, we mean school organization is nothing but setting up of an
institution. The important steps for school organization are acquiring land for
the school campus, construction of school building, furnishing the class room
with furniture, admitting the students of school, appointing headmaster and
assistant teachers, organizing curricular and co- curricular activities,
maintaining cumulative record cards etc. These organizational aspects of the
school are mainly concerned with those systems and processes which contribute
to the achievement of the set goals. It covers all human and physical factors
which may be in view. The school activities should keep a particular aim in
view. For example, we organize co-curricular and social activities so as to
generate a proper atmosphere in which the moral character of the students may
be developed on the desired lines. For achieving this, emphasis will have to be
laid on the appointment of worthy, morally sound and dedicated teachers.
School organization is concerned with a
system in which the headmaster, the teacher, the students, and other related
persons come as a team to undertake the task of running the school on sound
lines. Hence by school organization we mean the act of organizing all available
physical and human resources in an organized manner to attain the objectives of
education.
Characteristics of an
ideal school organization
Following
are the characteristics of an ideal organization. An ideal school organization
should have all these characteristics.
Ø Simplicity:
This means there should be clarity of roles, duties, responsibilities and
powers on the part of each person working in a school. This avoids confusion
and chaos leading to better organization of the activities of the school.
Ø Dynamism/Flexibility:
An ideal school organization is one in which any kind of change can take place
without disturbing any other activity. It should have scope for additions and
alterations. The rules and regulations should be flexible to meet the needs of
the school.
Ø Stability:
A school organization should be dynamic but it does not mean that it should be
in fluid condition without any norm or standard rules and regulations. What is
expected is the balance between rigidity and flexibility.
Ø Clarity about Powers and Duties:
There should be clear understanding of the powers and duties of individuals
working together in a school. It is necessary to avoid confusion and laying
down responsibilities. Similarly there should be balanced allotment of powers
and duties.
Ø Coordination:
In an ideal school organization there should coordination between different
activities and also coordination between physical resources and human
resources. The school should bring together all people and all things to
contribute for the realization of objectives.
Ø Acceptance of human elements:
An ideal school organization should accept human elements. Here the personnel
should be free to express their feelings, opinions, offer constructive
suggestions and bring about healthy changes in the school.
Ø Control:
Control is the element which puts a break to an activity and then evaluates the
results. It is required to safeguard against the misuse of powers in the
school. There are different models available to understand the concept and
nature of school organization. They are bureaucratic model, system and
community model.
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, it is not appropriate to assume that they do not need
a highly specialized support system through school organization. School
organization, being a specialized support system has the following aims and
objectives.
1. Organizing
the School for Democratic Living
Democracy is the government by the
many. If the many are to rule themselves and no more to be ruled by the tyrant
and 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.
2. All
round Development of Students
All round
development of the students continuing their studies in a school is the chief
aim of school organization. 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. Thus the school keeps an eye on the
developmental needs of the children. The community establishes schools with a
view to serve its own purpose by providing right training for citizenship.
3. 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 and need to be studied 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 contributes to the
understanding of students needs.
4. 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 of its worth. By action, the group
will develop more faith in group work.
5. 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. Examples of
engagement opportunities could include packaged materials, films and
activities. Such materials could be developed within or outside the school
system. The planning and implementation for development of such materials is an
important aim of school organization, which should involve students, teachers
and administrators.
6. 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 to enable schools to undertake innovations in certain
areas. Community dissatisfaction with the existing programme may lead to
curriculum change. If a large segment of the community believes that reading
can be taught more effectively, it can exert pressure on the Board of Education
that results in efforts to change the programme of teaching.
7. To
develop a permissive atmosphere
Permissiveness, as used by
psychologists, means personal freedom to express a point of view or an idea
without fear of recrimination because it is in opposition to one held by
someone with power or authority. If the atmosphere is really permissive, the
members of the staff value the person who is different rather than attempt to
force him to conform. 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. In some staff, the person who is different threatens
other people and they hunt for ways of silencing him. School organization aims
at developing a permissive atmosphere in the school.
8. To
develop among the teachers a sense of belonging
Teachers
should feel that they belong to the group with which they work. Desire to be
accepted or to remain a part of the group is more powerful in conditioning.
School organization should aim at developing a sense of belonging among the
teachers and try to provide an atmosphere of free interaction to innovative
ideas for the progress of students learning.
9. Help
in personal problems
People will grow intellectually and
professionally through the interaction involved in solving educational
problems, if they are deeply troubled with personal problems; their potential
for growth is not released. Actions by school organization to reduce tension
contribute to the progress of education.
Principles
of School organization
1) Child-
centered principle
Since education aims at the all round
development of the child, it is essential that school organization should be
child centered. As a result, it can help in developing student’s 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.
2) Community centered principle
One of the objectives of education is
to make the child an active, useful and worthy member of the society.
Therefore, along with child centered principle, community centered principle
should be adopted in schools. When we try for the development of the child as
an individual, we should also make arrangements for the progress of the community.
School organization should keep in view the developmental needs of the children
as well as the community ideals, aspirations, needs, values and culture.
3) Democratic
principles
The school prepares the future
citizens and inculcates democratic values in them. The democratic ideals are
inculcated in the minds of the children through the school activities. Students
can develop knowledge about democratic principles if we can organize schools on
democratic lines. 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 such a manner that
the headmaster, the teachers, the students and other staff members work with
team spirit. They should feel that school organization is their own activity.
If a single individual dominates over school organization, all democratic ideas
are destined to fail.
4) 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 while organizing the school. 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-dare teaching techniques, use of
equipment, preparation of textbooks and construction of curriculum should be
made in such a manner that they can be directed towards fulfilling the
educational needs of the students and avoiding the misuse of time, energy and
money.
5) Principle of flexibility
Society is dynamic in nature,
not static. Since education aims at developing the abilities 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. Therefore, school
organization should be dynamic in nature, not static.
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:
i.
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.
ii.
Goal Development
The
educational system is a sub-system of the society and therefore the society not
only provides human and non- human 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 necessary for the educational institution 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.
Significance of
School Organization
Ø It
is very much necessary to ensure smooth functioning of a school.
Ø It
is necessary to avoid under and over utilization of the resources of a school
there by ensuring optimum and judicious use of the resources.
Ø It
is important to make best use of the capabilities of the school personnel because
if they are allotted the work depending upon their area of expertise, interest,
experience they are likely to deliver work at the best of their abilities.
Ø It
is necessary to save time, increase clarity and efficiency of work as there is
clarity of duties to be performed and responsibilities to be held on the part
of the school personnel.
Ø It
is significant to achieve the aims and objectives of a school smoothly.
Ø It
is important to create a professional image of a school.
Ø It
lays stress on building relationships among the school personnel thereby helps
in increasing mutual trust, interdependency which is necessary to build team
spirit among the school personnel.
Scope of School
Organization
The
scope of school organization can be understood form the following points. Each
point includes a wide variety of activities involved in the school system. The
points are as follow
Ø Organization of academic and
administrative work of a school
This includes the major areas like planning
the teaching work, organization of learning resources such as library,
e-content and also organization of co-curricular activities. The organization
of administrative work deals with organization of all the old and present
records, registers of different types and other documents of the school. They
are to be well organized and preserved. Besides, it includes the task of
chalking out the duties and responsibilities of administrative personnel for
smooth administrative work.
Ø Organization of Physical resources of
the school
This helps in organizing all the physical
resources of a school to ensure their optimum utilization. Even planning for
new resources is also considered under this.
Ø Organization of organizers / personnel
of the school
This deals with assigning work to the school
personnel, chalking out the duties and responsibilities, delegating powers for
decision making and directing and ensuring coordination between different
school personnel. In addition to this, it also refers to the organization of
various activities for ensuring their professional and personal growth,
sustaining their motivation and maintaining harmony and developing
interpersonal relationships among them.
Ø Democratic organization
This refers to make the school work
democratically following the policy of participatory management.
Ø Organization of conducive climate for
smooth working
It
is very important to make the school personnel work efficiently and devotedly.
Mere salaries will not help to develop a sense of commitment for an organization.
Adequate working hours, freedom to carry
out innovations, scope for professional growth, acceptance of human
relationships and many other factors help in creating conducive climate for
working. A good school organization should always strive to create such type of
climate which create and sustain the motivation of school personnel for the
growth and development of the school.
CONCLUSION
School
organization means looking after the internal
and external affairs of the school, the proper use of the recourses
available and taking proper cared of the resources so that teaching and
learning can take place in a better way. School organization is concerned with a
system in which the headmaster, the teacher, the students, and other related
persons come as a team to undertake the task of running the school on sound
lines. Hence by school organization we mean the act of organizing all available
physical and human resources in an organized manner to attain the objectives of
education.
REFERENCE
1. B.N. Dash (2007); School
Organization, Administration and Management; Neelkamal Publications Pvt. Ltd.
Delhi.
2. S. K. Kochhar (1990); Secondary
School Administration; Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. Delhi.
3. S. Mathur (1998); Teacher and
Secondary School Education; Vinod Pustak Mandir; Agra.
