Good education is not only about physical inputs, such as classrooms, teachers, and textbooks, but

also about incentives that lead to better instruction and learning. Education systems are extremely
demanding of the managerial, technical, and financial capacity of governments, and so in many
ways education is too complex to be efficiently produced and distributed in a centralized fashion
(King & Cordeiro-Guerra, 2005; World Bank, 2007). Realizing that “we will not have better
schools without better teachers, but we will not have better teachers without better schools in which
teachers can learn, practice, and develop” (Owens, 2004, p. 406). Therefore it is important that
operations of educational organization are well managed so as to meet the schools objectives and
hence in line with what as been stated, this essay stands to debate for the statement that, educational
management is a very important field of study that is concerned with the operations of educational
organization in order to accomplish the schools objectives.

Education management system, as the name suggests involves the management of all the
processes that are performed inside an Educational Organization.in other words, it refers
to the administration of the education system in which a group combines human and material
resources to supervise, plan, strategize, and implement structures to execute an education system.
The education system is an ecosystem of professionals in educational institutions, such as
government ministries, unions, statutory boards, agencies, and schools. The education system
consists of political heads, principals, teaching staff, non-teaching staff, administrative personnel
and other educational professionals working together to enrich and enhance. At all levels of the
educational ecosystem, management is required; management involves the planning, organizing,
implementation, review, evaluation, and integration of an institution such as one at hand, a school..

In pursuit of accomplishing school objectives, Planning is the first step of educational

management. Kimani (2011: 17) said “Planning is a rational and systematic way of
forecasting the future of an organization. It is a process of preparing for change by
formulating future course of action.” He also considered Warren (1994) who said that
planning is a decision-making activity requiring the process of ascertaining objectives and
deciding on activities to attain these objectives. Through planning process the manager
aims at managing organization efficiently and effectively. According to Kimani (2011: 39),
there are four characteristics of planning functions. First, planning is anticipatory.
Decisions are made on how and what to do before it is done. Second, it is goal directed.

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Third, planning focuses on desired future results. Fourth, planning is future oriented. It
involves making decisions that will be achieved in future

Planning is a preparation activity to anticipate the actions which will be done. Planning
may formulate the goals and what techniques to get it. (Djam’an Satori, 2007: 155) In the
educational context, Russel G. Davis (1980: 1) said “Educational planning is a form of
general social planning, and systematic social planning is rational foresight applied to
stimulate and guide social action toward articulated objectives.” Consider the experts, we
may say that educational planning is a management function which involves the process to
formulate the education organization’s goals, establishing an overall strategy for achieving
those goals and developing a comprehensive set of plans to integrate and coordinate
organizational work. Planning is continuous and gradual activities which is guided by goals
to be achieved. It could be single or plural activity, and support each other. One determines
the other activities. Planning must formulate what actions will be taken. This is the core
activity which contains decisions on actions to be implemented.

Formulation of the plans contains some uncertainty elements because not all the obstacles
that will occur in the future can be foresighted for sure in determining what techniques
most appropriate to do. The future cannot be predicted exactly and definitely because of
the possibilities has always existed. Under educational management Optimization foresight
will likely occur to maintain the minimum failures. (Satori, 2007: 156).

Planning is adaptability, adoptability, flexibility, and scientific. Educational planning is

the starting point to make the perfect educational management. It should be adapted and
adopted by everyone, flexible to anticipate any possibilities, and based on the obtained and
accurate need and information. Planning is a very important function of management. This
helps in setting goals. The purpose of defining the outcome for an educational organization
which can be used as a performance criteria. The output of an organization can be
considered good if there is intended output at the earliest. Through the plan, managers can
learn what the organization intends to achieve. They can make decisions to ensure that
internal policies, roles, performance, structure, products and expenditures will be in
accordance with the desired results.

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The educational management function ladder is seconded by Organizing of the plans
passed. Organizing is similar to staffing which is the educational management function of
gathering resources, establishing orderly uses for such resources and structuring tasks to
fulfill organizational goals. It includes the determination of what tasks are to be done, how
tasks are to be grouped, who is responsible to do these tasks and who will make decisions
about the tasks. Organizing is a process of putting together human material resources in
order to achieve organizational goal. In a school situation it may involve putting together
teachers, non-teaching staff, building, teaching and learning materials to ensure pupils
learn effectively. In order to achieve maximum success, activities need to be well
organized.

Next in line to accomplishing school objectives is the implementation of the plan gathered
to meeting the schools objectives. Implementing is equivalent with doing. It means schools
must implement the plan into the real actions. Management compiles many educational
functions which have similar characteristics as the real actions after making the plan into
implementing function. There is organizing, communicating, staffing, directing,
accommodating, coordinating, motivating, and so on. This depends on what kind of object
is managed. If we talk about educational facility management, it doesn’t mean that we must
communicate or motivate our facility, but just maintenance. In the other hand, school
systems communicate, direct, coordinate, and motivate the person who is in charge as a
facility officer (general affair, janitor, etc).

Directing falls in next, Directing is similar to leading, motivating and coordinating, which
is the integrating of people with the educational organization to get their cooperation for
the achievement of its goal. Directing is a process through which educational personnel are
motivated to make effective and efficient contribution to the realization of organizational
goals. Directing requires some organizational commitment. It needs integration of
organizational goals with those of individual and groups. It exclusively deals with the
human element. It is therefore a very delicate and sensitive function that managers take
extreme care. There are many types of directing. At least we recognize three majors of it.
First, the democratic leading or consultative directing. Participative techniques of giving
directions. Second, the free-rein directing/laissez faire. The leader, director, or supervisor

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does not participate actively in giving decisions. Third, the autocratic or dictatorial
directing. The leader keeps the entire authority and control with him.

Educational management also brings about Control to the root of meeting the schools
objectives. Why is controlling needed? It is because the goals of individuals or groups
sometimes are contrary to the organization purposes. The other reason is the deviations
which caused by a gap period between the time when the objectives are formulated and
embodied. Controlling is a management function which monitors whether the activities are
on going well or not. As we know that the activities must fit in the planning. If there is
something that is not appropriate, it needs an adjustment. Controlling involves determining
what is achieved, evaluates performance and implement corrective measures to enable the
aims and objectives implemented in accordance with the original plan. Therefore,
controlling means comparing performance with respect to pre-set goals and making the
necessary adjustments and corrections. (Kimani, 2011: 45).

Controlling is needed to update plans, to protect organizations assets from inefficiency and
waste and to appraise employee’s performance. It means this educational management
function trying to control individual and organizational aspect. There are four steps in the
process of control. First, establish the standards. Second, measure the performance. Third,
compare the actual performances or results into standards. Fourth, take the corrective
action which required. Effective and efficient is the main principle in educational
management.

Nevertheless, in line with debating for the statement brought to our attention and highlighted in
the introduction of this writing, it can be concluded that indeed Educational Management is a very
important field which is concerned with the operation of educational organizations. It is the process
of planning, organizing, directing and controlling activities in a school, effectively utilizing human
and material resources, in order to accomplish the school’s objectives. Hence all parties involved
in education should gain insight in Educational Management as it is vital to help schools function
successfully and effectively realize their goals.

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 References

Margaret, P, Ron, G. (1997). Educational Management : Strategy, Quality, and Resources

Mumbai. Mumbai Open University Press,

Okumbe J.A. (1998). Educational Management: Theory and Practice, Bairobi. Bairobi
University Press,

Mills, Geoffry, et.al (1990). Modern Office Management . London: Pitman Publicity Limited.

OECD. (2010), The OECD Innovation Strategy: Getting a Head Start on Tomorrow . Paris:
OECD Publishing.

Post, G.V. & Anderson, D.L. (2006). Management Information Systems: Solving Business
Problems with Information Technology. Boston: McGraw-Hill International Edition

Tony H, B. (2002), The Principles and Practice of Educational Management. London. SAGE
Publisher,

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