Effective School

EFFECTIVE SCHOOLS IN PROVISION OF QUALITY EDUCATION

Fadhili Madaga

M.E.d Management & Administration Candidate
Department of educational foundations, management and lifelong learning

University of dare s salaam

E-mail: [e-mail]

ABSTRACT

There have been different discussions posed out by different scholars pertaining to educational system in excelling quality products to its graduates. This paper tries to explore some of the basic characteristic features an effective school should have, it also suggests how investors in educational industries like individuals, NGOs and religious affiliations can cope to ensure that their schools qualify to be termed as effective one for the better future generation.

1:0 Introduction

Since education is viewed as production function and an industry as it produces goods and services that are very important for the benefit of wellbeing, there is a need to all educational stakeholders to ensure that their schools provide quality education to their level best so that the graduates who complete are instilled a kind of innovative and competences that will not only fosters their individual traits but to the entire global.

As argued by Osaki (2000), “The highest function of education is to bring about an integrated individual who is capable of dealing with life as a whole, the graduates in an educational institution need to be supported in such a way that they can be able to bring ways of going with challenges in their life” An Indian scholar added that, “any education must start by nourishing the unique potential of every child within overlapping context of family, community, society and national world”.

A kind of education that aim at molding graduates into future working citizen contribute little to educational objective since education should not prepare people for the sake of work rather it should cultivate their moral, emotional, physical and spiritual dimensions of every child. (Hammond, 2000).

Psychologists argues that, “every child has innate potential for intelligent and creative systematic thinking” therefore, there is a need of bearing in mind that a child is more than a future employee.

2:0 Definition of the key terms

2:1 Effectiveness.

The term effectiveness in the context of education refers to the extent to which an education institution (school) achieve its goal/results by producing well disciplined personnel who is respected in the society and inculcated with necessary skills, knowledge and research.

2:2 Quality education

The concept of quality may mean as an improved state of the structural facilities, i.e. classrooms, teachers, equipment, toilets, laboratories, medium of communication, teaching aids and school space and grounds. It is also an improvement in the educational processes in regard to teaching and learning. The process of quality attributes are usually made possible and effective by an improvement in the structural quality attributes.

On the other hand, many definitions of quality in education exist, testifying to the complexity and multifaceted nature of the concept. The terms efficiency, effectiveness, equity and quality have often been used synonymously (Makene, 2004).

3:0 What makes a school effective?

There are many theories developed by different scholars on how an effective school should appear. The most pioneer was Ron Edmond (1979) through his article “Effective schools for urban poor published in educational leadership journal’ and other publications assert that an effective school should posses the following criteria.

i) It should have a strong school leadership/administrator/manager

As argued by Lewin et al (1969) Leadership is the manner and approach of providing direction, implementing plans, and motivating people, it is a means of getting people to do what you want them to do and it is the means or method to achieve two ends: operating and improving. This means that leadership style is more than simply passing along orders. An effective school leadership (school heads) according to them should demonstrate the following traits:

• He/she must be able to demonstrate a clear school mission and vision

• He/she has to be seen (visible) in school

• He/she must be able to state high goals for teachers and students

• He/she must be able to spend a larger portion of his time working with teachers to improve instruction and must be actively involved in diagnosing instructional problem

• He has to be able to demonstrate and create a positive school environment.

Thus in educational industry, leaders should be strong enough, as successful leader, not only states clearly the goals and objectives to be attained by the institution but also the code of conduct which entails, principles, rules and regulations that govern the routine should be explained clearly to the workers.

ii) It should have clear school mission and goals

The argument is that, any effective school should posses clear mission and goals which stress innovation and improvement. These missions have to be shared with teachers and students to achieve it in a team bases.

iii) Should have safe and orderly climate.

The major concern here is that any effective school needs to be friendly and secured to both teachers and students. The environment has to be safe learning environment in such a way it attract teachers to feel a sense of belonging and therefore not plan over looking for other place, equally important, students should be given chance to express their ideas without any hesitation, there should be no any kind of intimidation to both teachers and students that may results to the deterioration of better education.

iv) Should have high expectations from teachers and students

This is because the study conducted in USA in 1969 shows that teacher’s expectations to students influence students’ performance. On the other hand Pygmalion effect theory state that “people tend to perform up to the level others expects to them” People will achieve/perform better if they are expected to perform better.

v) It should have frequent monitoring and assessment of school progress. (Lyamtane, 2004) argues that, “assessment is the process of determining performance in order to distinguish the extent to which the intended goals are being realized, this may be into two forms, formative which takes place during the course of instruction and summative which takes place at the end of the course or at the end of school year”. He further added that regular assessment is good for school heads and managers to have a progress report that is useful in improving the quality of education through school performance. The study done by (Osaki, 2000; Mosha, 2000) comment that, “assessment and feedback are important to both students and school managers for they act as catalyst toward the improvement of teaching and learning processes”.

vi) It should be smaller school in size

Research shows that students in small schools learn more and are more likely to perform better in their career and indeed they develop necessary potentials needed to cope in their daily life.

vii) It should invest highly in teacher training.

An educational institution which invest much in training their staffs demonstrate highly skilled and professional staffs who are equipped with knowledge with adequate qualifications to further education to its students. Such scenario will leads to greater students’ learning and consequently better students’ outcomes and enable a school to have qualified teachers. According to Hammond, (2000), a qualified secondary school teacher is the one who holds a Diploma in teaching subjects acquired from any authorized teachers’ college or who has Advanced diploma, Bachelor’s degree or Master degree in teaching areas.

The latter are subjected to teach in secondary schools from ordinary to advanced levels while the former are subjected to teach ordinary level only.

The decline in quality of education in Tanzanian schools has direct connection with teachers qualification as many students in secondary schools especially private schools, are taught by unqualified teachers with these schools just find temporary solutions of employing former students from advanced secondary levels and higher learning institutions who really are not teachers. Being qualified teacher means helping students succeed in their studies (Chandler, 2007).

The ministry MOE (1995) itself admits that most of private schools are staffed by untrained and under-qualified teachers, mainly individuals who have completed form 6 and failed to qualify for teacher education. This contribute greatly to the provision of poor quality education because form six leaver has half knowledge to impart to students since he/she lacks some pedagogical skills to apply, but more importantly teaching in a class where your almost same level force you to lack confidence and divergent of examples in clarifying a given concepts.

viii) Trust among workers and communities around

The argument is that trust relationship between teachers, students, school leadership and communities around the school contribute greatly to the performance of school and therefore the school qualifies to be termed as effective. This trust is witnessed in task allocation thereby when a teacher has been entrusted a certain responsibility to head certain job, he/she has to trusted by his/her supervisor followed by motivation for completion of the given task.

ix) Financial resources

Since the operation of any educational institution requires money to meet daily consumptions like hiring of teachers, conducting different workshops and seminars, learning facilities and other day to day school demands, there is a need to have continuously supply of financial capability and if possible to have endowment fund that will ensure that nothing wrong goes to school. Mwapachu (1995) argues that ineffective funding and budgetary cutbacks is visible in terms of the unabated academic fight, erosion in standard of teaching, accommodation and service facilities of development and maintenance of physical infrastructure, failure to increase student enrolment, declining library standards due to acute shortage of new text and reference books and journals.

x) Application of science and technology.

Since the world has integrated globally with the development of science and technology, there is a need to foster on the application of the modern devices like computers, internet connected to enable both teachers and student interact with what is taking place in other parts of the world. The school should have modern libraries that will enable teachers and students to explore current information needed in their career. There is a need of investing in modern laboratories so that students learn by practical to instill a sense of learn by doing.

4:0 Recommendation and Conclusion

4:1 Recommendation

In view of the foregoing analysis, it can be concluded that improvement of education implementation actually needs a strong commitment, backed by good leadership necessary to animate and steer the change process to success.

▪ Investors in educational industry have to ensure that they adhere to the needs of the society around them by providing necessary education that best fit them. This is by creating a kind of curriculum that focuses across the students’ environment; it should focus on student centered approach so that to give room to student to use their potential in judging and analyzing educational issues.

▪ Schools owners should make sure that they hire highly qualified personnel (teachers) who demonstrate different talents and experience in their field of specialization, they also need to provide in service training such as workshops, seminars to cope with changes that happen in their fields. This can be done by setting certain criteria in hiring teachers so that those who best qualify and who have undergone in teaching training fields are the ones to be given chance to teach.

▪ Finding system should go side by side with intended aim and this has to be evaluated to ensure that a certain amount given really met the goal it meant.

▪ School managers and heads of school should involve different stakeholders like parents, students and other communities around on the progress and challenges facing the schools and seek help for the wellbeing of their school, this help to build solid ground to the communities and feel sense of ownership.

▪ Teachers need to be given necessary motivation in terms of good working environment, adequate payment and other care so that they can utilize much of their efforts in dealing with students’ academic matters than thinking extra sources of earning their living.

4:2 Conclusion

Generally, the operation of schools in the context of Tanzanian system should be adhered subject to the rules and procedures stipulated through educational act by the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training so as to avoid different shortcomings that may lead to stress and chaos to stakeholders including parents, teachers and students who actually are an engine in making the school fulfill its aims. School owners on the other hand are questioned over not thinking on themselves in executing their daily tasks but create some sort of team work for the better future by creating good harmony and mutual cooperation with their colleges particularly teachers to remove psychological tension that may hamper them.

REFENCCES

Chandler, M. A. (2007). Being highly qualified: Is a subjective matter. New York:

McGraw-Hill

Edmonds, R (1979). Effective school for the urban poor. Educational leadership journal

Hammond, L. (2000). Teacher quality and student achievement: A review of state policy

evidence. Education Policy Analysis Archives 8 (1).

Lewin, K., LIippit, R. & White, R. K. (1969). Patterns of aggressive behavior in

experimentally created social climates. Journal of Social Psychology, 10, 271-301.

Lyamtane, E. C. (2004). Managerial aspects influencing performance of catholic

seminaries in national examinations. M. A. Dissertation. University of Dar es

salaam: Faculty of Education.

Makene, M. (2004). The effects of underfunding on performance of community secondary

schools in Tanzania. M.A. Dissertation: University of Dar es salaam. Faculty of

Education.

MOE, (1995). Declining enrolment and quality of primary education in Tanzania Mainland. An analysis of key data and documentation and review of explanatory factors. A report of a Study Initiated by MoEC Sponsored by UNICEF, Dar es salaam.

Mwapachu, J., (1995), 25 years of University of Dar es salaam, (1970-1995),

Achievements and Shortcomings: Keynote Address.

Osaki, K. M. (2000). Quality of education in Tanzania: A focus on curriculum, standards

and accountability in schools. Prepared for headmasters conference on education

held at Arusha International Conference Centre, 11th – 12th October, 2000.