Introduction
The nature and quality of the curriculum offered in a school is closely related to the resources which are available, and, most importantly, how well they are used. It is necessary to understand that the quality of student learning and therefore the nurturing of student behaviour hinge on how well the available resources are used. In this unit we consider the issues of the availability and adequate use of resources and some of the problems school heads face in managing resources. Even where finance is available, it is still important to improvise and adapt from the local environment.
Individual study time: 2 hours.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this unit you should be able to:
¨ display a thorough knowledge of resources and the way they should be organised for the promotion of learning/ teaching in schools
¨ explain the need to produce and acquire resources
¨ recognise constraints in the management of resources
¨ find ways of managing resources properly.
Types of resources and constraints
Reflect on some of the resources which are available to all of us in schools. Think about the constraints you have as a school head in managing your resources.
Constraints
You will probably have identified quite a number of constraints which considerably hinder the ability of you and your teachers to provide the curriculum you would wish. Which of the following did you identify?
¨ shortage or lack of storage facilities
¨ lack of skills and expertise needed to identify and use resources properly
¨ inadequate sources of supply of the required resources
¨ insufficient means of transport to distribute resources
¨ lack of skills in how to manage time and space effectively
¨ insufficient financial provision
¨ inappropriate and unimaginative training of teachers
Identifying resources
Activity 3.1
Take the examples of resources in the chart below and place them in the correct category using the following headings.
Material Resources
Human Resources
Financial REsources
Time Resources
¨ textbooks
¨ teachers
¨ school day
¨ pupils
¨ vehicles
¨ classrooms
¨ audio‑visual aids
¨ PTA funds
¨ subjects
¨ period allocations
¨ furniture study time
¨ ancillary staff
¨ kits for science
¨ school infrastructure
¨ board of governors
¨ petty cash
¨ library books
¨ teachers' guides
¨ community resource persons
Comments
This list and your answers demonstrate the range of resources available to us. Everything we see and touch is a resource which perhaps we could use. Thus resources extend far beyond textbooks, include many things which cannot be provided by the Ministry of Education and include many resources which cost nothing. From this you may see that the management of resources by a school head requires considerable skills.
Managing resources
Activity 3.2
Everyone uses resources.
What resources do the following people use: head of school, pupils, teachers, security guard and secretary?
Who, in your school, is directly responsible for securing the following resources for the school: teachers, stationery, information on careers, classroom furniture, science kits, sports equipment and food?
In what ways can the persons named above be helped to make effective use of these resources?
Comments
We are all users of many resources, some of which are our own, but most of which we share with other people. Similarly we all have responsibility for managing resources, both our own and those we share. For teachers and other staff, it is important that the extent of their individual responsibilities should be written into their job descriptions. The appraisal of the work of everyone in a school should take into account how well they manage resources. The qualities of leadership which we look for in both pupils and teachers (and most of all school heads) depends to a large extent on their resource management abilities. Everyone needs to be helped to develop their skills in this area, both through pre‑service training on the part of teachers and through everyday training and supervision. The school head is responsible for developing this appreciation of resources and the involvement of everyone in their management.
Maintaining resources
Activity 3.3
Resources have to be looked after properly. The school delegates this responsibility and monitors the performance of the individuals concerned. For each of the resources listed below give the post of the person responsible, where the resource is normally stored and any special management this requires.
Exercise Books
Art equipment
Surplus furniture
Agricultural tools
Cooking utensils
Computer Equipment
Musical instruments
Chemicals for science
Report cards
General stationary
Comments
Resources which are purchased from school funds require special attention. For this reason the head usually delegates authority and responsibility to key teachers and members of the support staff, and ensures the provision of storage and appropriate management.
The shortage of any resource ‑ teachers, classrooms, finance, time ‑ reduces the extent to which the curriculum can be delivered effectively. Shortages can occur because of poor school management procedures, including, for example:
¨ failure to make proper staffing vacancy returns
¨ failure to keep appropriate records of consumable stock
¨ poor maintenance routines
¨ poor planning of use of available funds
¨ inability to maintain resources to acceptable standards resulting in deterioration
¨ Failure to keep an up-to-date asset register
¨ lack of time management
Shortages can also occur because of factors external to and beyond the control of the school management, including, for example:
¨ inadequate funding
¨ lack of available transport
¨ limitations in the capacity of the supplier making it impossible to meet the needs of the school
¨ inability of the Teacher Service Commission to provide suitably qualified teachers as and when required
¨ lack of creativity and resourcefulness on the part of staff members
¨ Non‑existence of environmental resources, for example, a lesson on mountains could suffer in a place where there are none
¨ no electricity or source of power.
From your own experience consider the main problems you face as a school head in the maintenance of resources? How does it compare to the list above?
Comments
It is important to recognise that shortages originating within the school may be overcome by good school management practices, but first it is necessary to identify the cause of the shortages and then make the required changes in the school's internal routines to try to improve the situation.
More effective resource maintenance
The management of resources needs to be planned. You and your staff could manage the resources in your school more effectively by:
¨ better planning to identify resource needs and how they may be satisfied and, in particular, linking curriculum planning to resource development
¨ better pre‑service, in‑service and on‑the‑job training for those who use resources
¨ more effective use of storage facilities
¨ more accurate and punctual maintenance of all resource records and the asset register
¨ setting up systems by which resources are shared both within the school and between schools
¨ closer supervision and more accountability of both staff and pupils.
There are many benefits your school will derive from a more effective management of resources.
By managing the school's resources more effectively the head will achieve easier access to available resources, a higher level of achievement of the curriculum objectives and a full and proper utilisation of all resources. In addition it is likely that the teachers will become more creative and positive and their lessons will become more varied, focused and interesting, resulting in more use of learner‑centered methods.
Production of resources
A fundamental characteristic of a good learning environment is one where creativity and innovation are fostered and promoted. Do your teachers experiment with new ideas with regard to locating, developing and using new resources?
Resources in Guyana can often be scarce. Such items as paper, card, scissors and glue are not always readily available in schools. Sometimes this is because of lack of funds and on other occasions it occurs through lack of planning and organization. Hence, cardboard boxes are a substitute for sheets of card and sticky plastic tape is a replacement for an electric laminator.
Reflect for a moment on one or two ways in which you and your staff have recently demonstrated a capacity for self‑help and experimentation in resourcing your school and its curriculum. Consider, in this context, which resources you are often short of and how you could replace them with something else.
As with all human endeavours, team work in the production and care of resources is not only beneficial but much less labour-intensive. It helps also to catalogue and carefully store resources, especially multiple copies of worksheets, so that they can be used by all and will last longer.
Summary
In every school there should always be an emphasis on improving the conditions for pupil learning, which will in turn depend on teacher self-development, motivation and commitment. Good, available resources will lead to greater satisfaction amongst both pupils and staff. In order to accomplish this, the school head must plan, anticipate, consult, supervise and act in a timely manner; so as to ensure that all the resources which are required are identified, developed and fully used in a responsible manner. It is useful to emphasize that the nurturing of student learning behaviour is determined in the main by the effective use of curriculum resource material.
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