Educational Planning

Educational Planning

 Meaning,Nature and Objectives 

What is planning?

Planning includes the possibility of better performance on all jobs. There is a saying that if there is a will there is a way. It signifies the will of an individual comes into picture after thinking which can be done through planning in mental level.

Planning is essential for development of every nation and according to which changes would have been brought in social, political, economic, cultural and educational sphere in a systematic and orderly manner. Simply speaking planning means to think before acting, and to act according to facts, not, conjectures or speculation.

So, what is Educational planning?

As we all know, our formal education is an organized one. We must have trained teachers to teach. Buildings and many facilities have to be put up in order to have educational institutions function effectively. Our educational system must be arranged at every stage in such a way that it meets the needs of both the individual and the nation. This process of intelligently trying to organize education so as to respond to the needs of its recipients is what can termed educational planning.

Planning in education is an extremely important activity as it forms the basis of all programmes of quantitative and qualitative improvement in education. Education planning is to explore the best possible means of making the greatest to use of available resources, leading to the optimal realization of the educational aims and objectives both individual and social.

To meet these problems, educational planning becomes a necessity and planning competence becomes mandatory. It is unavoidable for bringing about a desirable change in the educational organization for promoting the organizational health-its effectiveness and functional efficiency. UNESCO and the World Bank become early promoters of a functional educational planning mechanism as a condition of external assistance.

Definitions:

“Planning is to design some action to be done before hand.”

                                                                                                   —Oxford English Dictionary

 “Planning is regarded as the process of setting out in advance a pattern of action to bring about overall national policies by the closest possible articulation of means and ends.”

                                                                                                        —Philips

Significance of Educational Planning:

1. To make every programme of an educational institution or organisation grand success.

2. Proper educational planning saves time, effort and money as planning in every field is a time-saving, an effort-saving and a money-saving activity.

3. Educational planning is a sound method of solving educational problems by avoiding the trial and error method of doing things.

4. Educational planning is essential for the best utilization of available resources.

5. Educational planning checks wastage and failure and contributes to the smoothness, ease and efficiency of the administrative process in the field of education.

6. Through proper planning in education, education can be the best means by which society will preserve and develop its future value system, way of life of an individual, knowledge, skills and applications, and culture of the country.

7. Through proper educational planning, the means and ends of the society can be properly interacted through educational system. It implies that the educational system utilizes a large proportion of the country’s educated talents and a major part of public expenditure.

8. Educational planning is highly essential for preparing a blueprint or plan of action for every programme of an educational institution or organisation.

9. Planning in education is necessary for making one’s educational journey goal-oriented and purposeful.

10. It is essential to maintain, sustain and enhance the thinking process of an individual, institution or organisation.

11. Planning in education is necessary to highlight the universal aims of education required for every nation for its development in every respect.

12. To bring total development of a nation in time, in which educational development is one among its various aspects.

Nature of Educational Planning:

                       i.            Cooperation:

Modern educational planning emphasizes involvement of representatives of most of the concerned sectors of the society in the process of planning.

                     ii.            Remedial Measure:

   Identifying cause of the educational problems and suggesting relevant solution is the main objective of educational planning. It is remedial and guidance- oriented.

                   iii.            Choice of Best Alternative:

    Modern educational planning is a logical systematic and scientific process different from the elementary kinds of procedure utilized in the past of bringing about changes in the systems of education.

                   iv.            Team Work:

     A team of experts, responsible people and those who are to implement the plan should determine the goals and appropriate ways of attaining them. Modern educational planning emphasizes that only the top administrator or the government should be involved in planning. Planning should be a responsibility of ail people concerned with the desired change.

                     v.            Social and Economic Goals:

    The expected goals of the society and needs of children and young pupils in the schools and colleges should be the broad frame of reference. Modern educational planning emphasizes that the goals of a democratic society should be social and economic concerned with the welfare and progress of all citizens rather than the selfish goals of some special interest groups.

                   vi.            Scientific Changes:

   Modern educational planning carefully and objectively collects data, interprets and analyses interrelationships between present and future needs. It also interprets and analysis inter-relatedness of the various components of the social and educational system.

                 vii.            Anticipation:

     Modern educational planning requires developments and needs change in future, must ahead of time so as proper facilities, supporting media and required resources for implementing the planned change may be secured.

               viii.            Forecasting:

    Educational Planning is describing or defining or determining events, conditions and needs of some future point in times. It implies forecasting of important factors in education such as number and types of students and expansion of facilities needed for them.

                   ix.            Interpretation:

     It should also called for interpretation of future data and it’s translation into competencies or operational capabilities demanded to maintains effectiveness under the conditions anticipated.

                     x.            Goals and Objectives:

       It is a means of generating relevant present and future goals and objectives for the organization.

                   xi.            Decision-Making:

                 It is the preparation or pre-courses in the decision-making process. It helps in determining the optimal decisions or choice rendered. While educational administration is mostly decision making, planning in education is only the other side of it.

                 xii.            Operations Optimization:

   Educational Planning is performance improvement or operation optimization. It’s for the enhancement of existing conditions rather than for those that exists in the uncertain future. It is to guide the actions of the operations.

               xiii.            Problems Prevention:

      It is a kind of contingency anticipation or problem-prevention. It should minimize the magnitude of an educational problem likely to be encountered at some future point in time. It should spell out the procedures to be followed if some crisis or contingencies arise.

               xiv.            Management Change:

   Educational Planning is a part of organizational renewal. MBO, PERT and various other forecasting techniques are part of the process of educational planning. It provides a mechanism, a model or a tool for achieving specific objectives of an organization.

                 xv.            Complexity Resolution:

    Educational Planning is complexity resolution, a process for co-ordination and control. It is interpreted as a means of coping with complexity or co-ordination of facets of such projects.

Objectives of Educational Planning:

   i.  To ensures success of the institution: It takes into consideration the important issues, conditions, constraints and factors in education. Its focus is on future objectives, vision and goals. It is proactive in nature in that it emphasizes perception and ability to apply theory and profit from it in advance of action.

    ii.   To explore the possibilities of alternative uses and optimum utilization: To explore the possibilities of alternative uses and optimum utilization of limited resources. The scarcity of financial and other non-material resources poses a challenge to education.

    iii.   To be economic: Effective and efficient planning saves resources, manpower, time and finance... That’s why it is recommended in the field of education.

    iv. Attained objectives of education: Through proper planning the predetermined objectives of education can be achieved.

    v   Keep pace with social development: Overall (social, cultural, economic) development of the students is possible with perfect and systematic planning in education. Curriculum is framed according to the need and inerest of the students.

   vi  Coordinate different educational activity: Different educational activity is coordinated with suitable planning from Pre-primary to Primary, Primary to Secondary, Higher  Secondary to College Education etc for the development of both students and teacher along with teaching-learning process.

  vii.  To determine the priorities in the educational sector so that scarce resources can be allocated optimally.

viii To reorient the educational system and bring about functional integration among different levels of education.

    ix.   To bring about equalisation of educational opportunity by expanding facilities for women’s education especially in rural areas.

      x.     To abolish discrimination in educational matters on the basis of caste, creed or religion.

Click below  for :
Need,Steps and Scope of educational planning