Have you ever wondered who sets rules in schools?

What goes behind certain plans and criteria’s set?

They may be related to admissions, examinations, uniforms, rules and regulations. Administrative staff and head of schools must know why certain rules are important to implement and why some are not that important. They must also be aware of whom to involve in the decision making process and how will the end result benefit the pupils. Decision making is a process that shows results over a period of time. These decisions are made by an army of staff who pave the pathway for a smooth running organization.

Educational institutions run on one main objective, which is the welfare of students. A lot of times, there are situation that arise where a teacher alone cannot take decisions. That is where the Head of School and probably other admin staff are also pulled into the picture.

Researchers today know that not all decisions can be taken accurately by the top staffs. There may be certain alternative that they must have not even though of for a problem. Therefore, they realize the importance to have a team that stands by each other and also gives results for a better outcome. 

There are several factors involved in educational administrative making decisions and having the right team to do so

Individual skills: Staff members who are less experienced in the field tend to do as the higher authorities. This tends to form a huge in the team. As leaders, there should always be a desire to bridge this gap between juniors and seniors and work collaboratively so that they can be involved in the decision making process as well. This is also giving scope for new ideas and new ways of handling situations setting new rules and regulation that can be happily followed by all.

Time factor: How soon is the decision needed to be made? How important is it to consult others while making the decision? These are certain questions that may arise. If a decision needs to be taken urgently the leader or Head of School might take a decision by himself/herself as certain things might be at stake. Collaborative decision take time, hence it is important to inform the team much in advance if a certain deadline is to be met.

Qualitative decisions: Some decisions are significant and carry major repercussions. For certain situations team efforts are required for a high quality outcome. Collaboration and ideas of all members are needed. If a non-significant situation is to be tackled, the decision of one person is okay to go ahead with.

Team interest: The staff’s interest in the decision making is extremely important. They need to feel at place and have a clear picture as to what the situation is and why they are being involved. There might be times when there would be disagreements but as a leader one should try to put aside differences and try to reach towards the goal. The leader should make everyone feel as equal members of the team and not one higher than the other. 

To conclude, many decisions in educational organizations need the staffs and parents support for successful implementation and positive outcomes. Educational Administration and Management courses are helpful. A collaborative model often always increases the chances of it being a success as the process of the outcome involves not just one person’s hard work but a team effort. Freshers in the filed would learn from their experience’s colleagues, and so would the experiences ones learn from the new ones in the field.

Just as John Dewey said, “Education is a constant re-organisation, re-construction and transformation of experience”. This also sets ands example for future leaders who would work in the same manner.

Written By : Sonal Agrawal