EDUCATIONAL PLANNING

Arnel A. Usman

The plans of the diligent lead to profitas surely as haste leads to poverty.-Proverbs 21:5

When planning for a year, plant corn. When planning for a decade, plant trees. When planning for life, train and educate people. -Chinese Proverb

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Objectives

At the end of the presentation, the educational management students should have gained an understanding of the following aspects of educational planning:

DefinitionDifficulties encounteredNecessity Purposes Systems approachAdvantages of systems approach

Overview of PlanningPlanning is

Organizational functionResponsibility of individual managersRequired to shape desirable directionsTake account of change

More on planning in general termsEndemic in all types of organizations (economic, political, social)Precedes nearly every vital decisionResults in concrete plans: - operational - procedural - conceptual - strategic

CONCEPTS OF PLANNING Relating the present to probable future - continuously assessing progress, objectives, past decisions - studying trends, forecasts, predictions

Requirements arise from constant change

PLANNING AND CHANGE External Change - economic, social, political, technological

Internal Change - organizational structure/size, managerial and work-force personnel, services or products, technology

Planning is an executive action that embodies the skills of anticipating, influencing and controlling the natureand direction of change. ROLE OF CHANGE IN PLANNING

Planning involves complex processes of perception, analysis, conceptual thought, communication, decision and action. PLANNING AND CHANGE

Process than a behavior at a given point in timeAll the thinking that takes place prior to decisions or actionsanticipatory decision-making Ackoffgamemanship or the employment of strategy in the pursuit of goals Hardwick and LanduytGives value on creativity, innovation PLANNING FURTHER DEFINED

Evaluation of Present ConditionsFOUR MANAGERIAL PROBLEMSIN THE PROCESS OF PLANNING2. The Factor of Time 3. Collection and Analysis of Data 4. Hierarchy of Plans

EDUCATIONAL PLANNING DEFINED rational scientific method of choosing alternatives in matters of educationcover the needs of education in its social subsytem, cultural subsytem, economic subsytem relates the educational systems to the social, cultural, economic, political and technological system of society

EDUCATIONAL PLANNING DEFINED a rational scientific approach to problems of education it is not only a blueprint but a continuous process identifies objectives and chooses the most effective and effecient

EDUCATIONAL PLANNING DEFINED a communal responsibility, and at the national level, a national responsibility deals with the future, drawing enlightenment from the past only an instrumentality and does not implement itself

PLANNING AND THE ECONOMIC SYSTEM OF THE SCHOOLEconomic needs within a school system are definite and specific while the socio-cultural needs of a school system differ from person to person and are rather vague and unlimited

PLANNING AND THE ECONOMIC SYSTEM OF THE SCHOOL2. Tensions due to economic needs are better measured in quantitative terms while social and cultural systems are more qualitative aspects

Methods of Systems Analysis suffer from myopia in two respects with reference to Planning1. They assume that productivity in higher education is primarily measured by matching manpower needs in the vocations and professions with graduates holding earned degrees in various subjects.

2. Systems analysis models which necessarily rely on such known and quantifiable considerations such as the number of students and faculty, student faculty ratios, class size and work load, must necessarily impose the present on the future.

DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED IN EDUCATIONAL PLANNING Social conservatism of educational systems, gap between changes occurring in society, social inertia or cultural lag due to lack of upgrading aims, goals and objectives of the school system;

Half-hearted attitude of administrators, faculty members and students;

DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED IN EDUCATIONAL PLANNING Lack of funds and lack of conviction of its necessity;Socio-psychological resistance by administrators;Lack of integration of the social, cultural and economic subsystems;Lack of reliable data concerning a school system;Lack of experts in educational planning

DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED IN EDUCATIONAL PLANNING The fact that most higher education institutions are in the private sector (these HEIs have their own objectives, characteristics and needs)

Administrators are concerned with daily operations while educational planning is directed towards the future;

DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED IN EDUCATIONAL PLANNING Focus of education is actual imparting of knowledge, skills and values at the present time;

Interlocked elements and interdependent decisions that need to be taken into consideration;

Complexity of educational planning

DEFICIENCIES IN EDUCATIONAL PLANNING Difficulties in implementation due to lack of time, money, institutional demands for autonomy, opposition from institutions and legislative inaction. Mayhews Report on Planning (1969)

DEFICIENCIES IN EDUCATIONAL PLANNING Planners seem more concerned with growth and linear expansion than with educational objectives;

Interest groups (often non-academic) influence planning on such matters as campus site location, architectural design, program requirements, intercollegiate activities and the creation of new institutions.

DEFICIENCIES IN EDUCATIONAL PLANNING The students role in planning is minimal because planners tend to view students in terms of numbers, teaching loads and not as human beings whose actions affect and are affected by conditions in the campus.

Facultys reluctance to participate in planning

NECESSITY OF EDUCATIONAL PLANNING Rapid rise of student participation in higher education due to the social demand approach and universal access;

Economic squeeze on educational systems.

3. Growing maladjustment of educational systems to environment;

NECESSITY OF EDUCATIONAL PLANNING Unemployment rate is increasing while educational cost is rising;

Discontent among youth with reference to social structures in educational systems;

Scarcity of financial resources for educational institutions;

NECESSITY OF EDUCATIONAL PLANNING Economic planning is a necessity;

Non-formal and formal educational systems;

Imbalances in the educational system; (oversupply of graduates in low-cost courses, lack of strong faculty development programs)

NECESSITY OF EDUCATIONAL PLANNING Supply of higher education has been in excess of demand;

Non-financial and financial bottlenecks (not enough administrative abilities developed among administrators and unqualified faculty)

NECESSITY OF EDUCATIONAL PLANNING Supply of higher education has been in excess of demand;

Non-financial and financial bottlenecks (not enough administrative abilities developed among administrators and unqualified faculty)

PURPOSES OF EDUCATIONAL PLANNING 1. To develop an institutional mission appropriate to the capacities and resources of the institutions or the system, to the socio-cultural and economic needs of its students and the country, and to the capabilities and ambition of its faculty and administration;

PURPOSES OF EDUCATIONAL PLANNING 2. To identify goals, objectives, programs and projects which are consistent with this mission and which will fulfill it;

3. To give a systematic consideration to the needed and anticipated resources and their use in the schoolsystem;

PURPOSES OF EDUCATIONAL PLANNING 2. To identify goals, objectives, programs and projects which are consistent with this mission and which will realize it;

3. To give a systematic consideration to the needed and anticipated resources and their use in the school system;

SYSTEMS APPROACH IN EDUCATIONAL PLANNING Appraisal through feedback or through measure of external productivity (use of benefits gained)

- determine difference between desired outcomes (objectives) and observed products (benefits)

SYSTEMS APPROACH IN EDUCATIONAL PLANNING Identify: - extent of integration - extent of congruence - extent of relevance

SYSTEMS APPROACH IN EDUCATIONAL PLANNING Then plan for optimization of benefits through:

- improved internal efficiency - increased relevance (better matching of course offerings and societal needs) - improved societal absorptive capacity

ADVANTAGES OF SYSTEMS APPROACHIt assumes that a system has a plan, has an aim

A system is adaptive, flexible, and will take the options and constraints of its environment;

ADVANTAGES OF SYSTEMS APPROACHIt assumes that a system has a built-in mechanism of quality control that evaluates and provides feedback;

A system will maximize its product-process-relation; minimize the input and maximize output

PARADIGM OF PLANNING

INPUTSPROCESSOUTPUTSFrom assessment or Evaluation ResultsAccording to avowed planning goals and objectives designed institutional sub sytemsImproved quality of educational services availed to clientele

Thank you!