Educational Administration

IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION

For the purpose of becoming an effective leader or manager who is in charge of an
educational institution needs to be familiar with the theoretical concepts and best
practices relating to educational administration. In trying to gain a good
understanding of Educational Administration we have to make certain assumptions
that:
Organizations are essential and it is impossible to avoid the influence of
different types of organizations on human life
Administrators can perform useful functions within organizations;
Knowledge and understanding of organizational behavior, both internal and
external could enable an administrator to act more effectively; and
Educational organizations and their administrations have some unique
characteristics that deserve distinctive treatment.
ADMINISTRATION & MANAGEMENT
In the present literature, these two terms are being used to convey more or less the
same meaning.
In USA, Canada and Australia, where the educational administrative systems are
based mainly on the American models, the term administration is more commonly
used.
In Britain and systems mainly influenced by the British system, the term
management is preferred.
In the context of business and industry, the term management is commonly used.
Educational Administration
It is the administration and/or management of institutions designed to foster
teaching and learning
These institutions include
public and private schools
technical education colleges
Special education institutions
public and private universities
educational resource-centers
school district offices, regional directorates
Federal /Provincial/ Divisional Government Departments of Education, and all
other institutions fostering teaching and learning
The management or administration of this broad range of institutions supports the
notion that Educational Administration is a field of practice
Similarly, it has certain aspects common to other fields of management, such as,
public administration, hospital administration and business management

Erich D. Garcia, Ed.D

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Educational Administration-History
Educational Administration is not only a field of practice but is also a field of study in
the early part of the twentieth century that Educational Administration emerged as
a separate field of study
First, the courses in educational administration were offered at the teachers College
of the University of Columbia, Educational Administration is not only a field of
practice but is also a field of study
in the early part of the twentieth century that Educational Administration emerged
as a separate field of study First, the courses in educational administration were
offered at the teachers College of the University of Columbia,
Stanford, Chicago and Harvard Universities and other institutions (1950)
In Australia the first institution to ommence teaching Educational Administration
was the University of New England
So we can conclude that there are certain unique aspects specific to Educational
Administration, as the aims and objectives as well as the goals that are to be
achieved are quite different from those of business and industrial organizations
Educational Administration-Discipline
Educational Administration is an applied field and not a discipline like chemistry or
history
As an applied field it has much in common with other applied fields, such as,
engineering and medicine
We know that engineering had to build on the disciplines such as mathematics and
physics medicine upon anatomy and biology
Similarly, Educational Administration had to build upon basic disciplines such as
psychology, sociology, political science and economics we must be under stood that
the concepts of those disciplines cannot be borrowed indiscriminately but have to
be adapted and tested in educational settings Educational Administration is a field
of study, mainly, for those who are aspiring to be administrators or currently
engaged as teachers and lecturers in schools and colleges or universities as well as
for prospective teachers It is true that the teachers are aware of such problems and
issues as decision-making, leadership and communication from the perspective of
the classroom teacher and not as an administrator
The task of administration is to view these problems and issues from a new
perspective, that of an administrator who must see the organization as a whole, and
not just as a teacher/lecturer in a classroom situation. The task of administration is
to view these problems and issues from a new perspective, that of an administrator
who must see the organization as a whole, and not just as a teacher/lecturer in a
classroom situation
What is the Job of an Educational Administrator?
The basic purpose of educational administration is to enhance teaching and learning
administration serves an instrumental or supportive role and not a primary role
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many administrative activities do not deal directly with students, the relationships
of these activities to teaching and learning are not always apparent
The basic purpose of educational administration is to enhance teaching and learning
administration serves an instrumental or supportive role and not a primary role
many administrative activities do not deal directly with students, the relationships
of these activities to teaching and learning are not always apparent
What is the Job of an Educational Administrator?
one considers the range of activities that a school principal is involved in, she or he
can be viewed as a generalist needing and relying on the expertise of others
Indeed the expertise that principals need to acquire is to know how to fit the pieces
together
What is the Job of an Educational Administrator?
Because the total program of teaching and learning, whether in the more formal
arena of a classroom or in the school as a whole, could be performed better when it
is co-ordinated effectively by the principal
In short, principals must help shape a safe and positive environment by providing
adequate facilities and resources, so that teaching and learning is fostered more
effectively
Functions of an Educational Administrator
There are a number of distinctive functions that an administrator should perform to
enhance teaching and learning
These are:
s/he should discern and influence the development of a shared vision for the
educational institution or organization that she or he leads
S/he should articulate a shared vision and involve others in setting the goals and
developing the strategies, for the realization of the shared vision
The goals may reside in the culture of the community and of the school or the
particular organization and, if so, they should be identified and perhaps made
explicit
The administrator should stimulate and direct the development of programs to
achieve the goals and purposes
The administrator should establish the structures and processes to co-ordinate
and organize the implementation of the programs
S/he should procure and allocate the resources needed to support the organization
and its programs
S/he should represent the organization to groups in the local and larger community
and whenever a necessity arises mediate between the groups

Erich D. Garcia, Ed.D

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This is perhaps one of the most forthright and tough functions that an administrator
is called upon to perform
S/he should evaluate and monitor the efficiency and effectiveness of institutional
operations
Starratt (1996) argues that the work of an educational administrator is different
from other fields of administration and management, as it is shaped and directed by
the core business of teaching and learning
He been pointed out that educational administration has three fundamental
functions
administering meaning
administering community
administering excellence
Administering meaning
Administrators are expected to ensure that the schools are able to provide
opportunities for the students to discover meaning in their world the meaning of
nature, of human affairs, and human relationships enabling them to learn beyond
memorizing superficial knowledge for success at examinations
Administering meaning demands that learning in the schools is grounded upon
human concerns, is connected to the major cultural activities of the society, and is
attuned to the realities of everyday life
Administering Community
Administering community demands that the administrators endeavor to transform
the traditional separation of the individual from the community into their essential
union
Creating more opportunities for cooperative learning and teamwork towards the
creation of learning organizations could encourage this
In addition, the administrator introduces the concept of organic management in
administering community to mean management by commitment rather than control
Administering Excellence
Administering excellence demands that the administrator promotes and encourages
high quality performance in schools not only in terms of productivity, innovations or
technical virtuosity but more so in terms of the students character and moulding
him or her to be a useful citizen and a member of the society
Administrator Role-other concept
Another way to view the functions of an organizational leader/manager, whether it
is in a department, school, college, university, and an education authority or in an
education system as a whole, is through the following categories:
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Integrating the organizational resources in the most efficient and effective pursuit of
its goals
Acting as the agent of introducing and institutionalizing desirable changes
Maintaining, supplementing and developing its resources
The school represents perhaps the most important institution in the child's life
The Importance of the School Administration to Student Achievement

Erich D. Garcia, Ed.D

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