SCHOOL POSITIONS: DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Duties and Responsibilities for different positions in preschool, Nursery, Primary and Secondary school
INTRODUCTION
The importance of Administrative programmes for Principals, Headmasters and other Administrative staff of schools cannot be over emphasized. These categories of school staff have a very portent role to play. In the overall progress and success of the school and so their regular exposure to basic principles of administration and contemporary school management operations is of uttermost importance. It is highly recommended that Administrative heads of Schools go through this manual over and over again and implement the contents therein.
STATUTORY DUTIES OF AN HM/PRINCIPAL
- Drafting the different standard policies for the school with input from the proprietor and relevant parties. These policies include: Staff Discipline Policy, Students Discipline Policy, Staff Code of Conduct, Parents Relations Policy, Safety Policy, Security Policy, Fire response policy/procedure, Fund Handling Policy, etc
- Putting sound and effective Administrative Structures in place in the school and enforcing compliance.
- Drafting Job Description and Job specification for all school stall
- Supervision of Academic and Non Academic staff
- Development of Term Calendar (Academic & Extra Circular Curricular Activities).
- Initiating and presiding over staff meetings with the permission of the proprietor and reporting outcome to the proprietor.
- Enforcing Discipline and Order in the school at all times (Amongst staff and students)
- Keeping up to date records as well as all school records effectively
- Addressing Ministry of Education related issues
- Vetting and approval of teachers scheme of work
- Vetting and approval of examination questions
- Monitoring of syllabus compliance by teachers
- Supervision of preparation and issuance of report sheets
- Ensuring proper relationship with parents/Handling parents complaints
- Circulating feedback forms to parents regularly (Through the help of the teachers and school secretary)
- Carrying out Monthly or Termly staff appraisal exercise on all staff
- Ensuring strict compliance to the staff code of conduct by all school staff
- Carrying out orientation exercise for newly employed staff
- Ensuring that all the schools assets and property are well maintained and secured
- Arranging for excursions to places of educational relevance
- Ensuring the establishment of clubs in the school-Press Club, Debate Club, Drama, JETS etc
- Organising seminars for the students on morals, leadership, Citizenship, Exam Malpractice etc.
- Organising periodical seminars for the parents.
- Monitoring Teachers activities in the different classes-Class Management, Teaching Methods, Use of Instructional materials, Communication with students (Choice of words), Marking Homework.
- Conceptualizing and initiating training programmes for the different categories of staff and recommending these to the proprietor.
- Ensuring that Security and Safety procedures are in place and are not compromised.
- Ensuring that staff recruitment is carried out with standard recruitment procedures
- 28. Regularly inspecting sports/games equipment for safety and maintenance reasons
- Intimating the proprietor of areas of concern and attention
- Facilitating the smooth operations of the PTA in conjunction with the PTA Executives, this includes protecting the schools interest in the PTA at all times.
- Obtaining regular feedback from all staff on areas of concern to them.
- Keeping abreast with activities and innovations of other good schools with a view to staying ahead of competition and making the school the preferred choice at all times.
- Submitting monthly/termly reports to the proprietor on different aspects of the school operations Overleaf is a sample of the termly report to be submitted by the HM/Principal on a Termly or Monthly basis to the proprietor.
TERMLY REPORT FORMAT
TO BE FILLED BY THE HOS/HM/PRINCIPAL AND SUBMITTED TO THE PROPRIETOR
TERM/DATE_________________________________________________________
STATISTICS
1. TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL LAST TERM________________
2. TOTAL NUMBER OF NEW INTAKES THIS TERM___________________________
3. TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS CURRENTLY IN SCHOOL____________________
4. TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO DID NOT RESUME IN THE SCHOOL
THIS TERM__________________
5. PLEASE ATTACH REASONS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT RESUMED OVERLEAF
PARENTS ISSUES
6. TOTAL NUMBER OF PARENTS IN THE SCHOOL__________________________
7. NUMBER OF CHILDREN PER PARENT__________________________________
8. TOTAL NUMBER OF FEEDBACK FORMS CIRCULATED TO PARENTS THIS TERM
9. TOTAL COMPLAINTS RECEIVED AND DETAILS OF COMPLAINTS______________
10. ANY MAJOR ISSUES WITH PARENTS THIS TERM? IF YES LIST THEM;
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
STAFF MATTERS
11. TOTAL NUMBER OF STAFF IN THE SCHOOL: TEACHING ________________
ADMIN________________ SUPPORT ________________
12. DID YOU CONDUCT STAFF APPRAISAL EXERCISE IN THE SCHOOL THIS TERM ______
13. IF YES HOW MANY FAILED STAFF APPRAISAL EXERCISE__________________
14. ATTACH NAMES OF STAFF THAT FAILED THE APPRAISAL EXERCISE TO THIS REPORT
15. GENERAL CONDUCT OF STAFF THIS TERM_______________________________
16. HOW MANY STAFF MEETINGS WERE HELD THIS TERM______________________
17. ATTACH FEEDBACK FROM STAFF_______________________________________
GENERAL
18. WHAT EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES TOOK PLACE IN THE SCHOOL THIS TERM. ATTACH LIST
19. ANY SAFETY INCIDENTS THIS TERM – INJURIES/ACCIDENTS, MISHAPS, ETC______
20. DID YOU INSPECT THE SCHOOL PHYSICAL FACILITIES THIS TERM.
PLEASE LIST OBSERVATIONS ___________________________________________
21. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS/ACTIVITIES FOR NEXT TERM. PLEASE LIST THEM AND ATTACH TO THIS REPORT ____________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
RESPONSIBILITIES OF SOME OTHER KEY SCHOOL STAFF
VP ACADEMICS (SECONDARY)
1. SUPERVISION OF ACADEMIC STAFF AND ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES
2. VETTING AND APPROVAL OF TEACHERS SCHEME OF WORK
3. MONITORING OF SYLLABUS COMPLIANCE
4. VETTING AND APPROVAL OF EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
5. ESTABLISHING AND SUPERVISION OF ACADEMIC CLUBS
6. ARRANGING FOR EXCURSIONS TO PLACE OF ACADEMIC RELEVANCE
7. MONITORING TEACHERS ACTIVITIES IN THE CLASS-CLASS MGT, TEACHING METHODS, USE OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS, ETC
VP ADMINISTRATION (SECONDARY)
1. A SUPERVISION OF ALL ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
2. MAINTENANCE OF SCHOOL ASSETS
3. KEEPING OF ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS
4. SCHOOL SAFETY & SECURITY ISSUES
5. ALL ADMINISTRATIVE RELATED ISSUES
6. SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENTS FROM THE PROPRIETOR/PRINCIPAL
HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS
1. HEADS OF ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS
2. DEPARTMENTAL SUPERVISION AND OVERSIGHT FUNCTIONS
3. ORGANISE AND SUPERVISE RELEVANT EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
ON DEPARTMENTAL BASIS – (EXCURSIONS, COMPETITIONS, CLUBS ETC)
4. VET AND APPROVE TEACHERS IN THE DEPARTMENT’S LESSON NOTES
5. REPRESENT DEPARTMENT IN SCHOOL MGT MEETINGS
6. RECOMMENDED DEPARTMENTAL STAFF FOR PROMOTION, RECOMMENDATION, DISCIPLINE
7. KEEP PRINCIPAL/HM FULLY BRIEFED & ABREAST WITH ALL HAPPENINGS IN THE DEPARTMENT AND ANY OTHER DUTIES ASSIGNED BY THE PRINCIPAL/HM
CLASSROOM TEACHERS
1. PREPARATION OF LESSON NOTES
2. EFFECTIVE CLASSROOM TEACHING USING MODERN METHODS
3. EFFECTIVE CLASS MANAGEMENT & CLASS ORGANIZATION
4. PARTICIPATION IN CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES – CLUBS, EXCURSIONS
5. ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION IN STAFF MEETINGS
6. ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS: FORMATIVE AND SUMMATIVE
7. INVIGILATION OF EXAMINATIONS
8. ENFORCING SCHOOL RULES AMONGST STUDENTS
9. ANY OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES ASSIGNED BY PRINCIPAL/HEAD TEACHER
SCHOOL STAFF DISCIPLINE
Discipline and order are key requirements for the success of any school. A lawless organization. (An organization without discipline) cannot thrive, Principals/HMs must understand that their responsibilities are not limited to only students discipline, staff discipline is a core responsibility on HMs/Principals.
The following are recommended ways of disciplining/correcting school staff:
- VERBAL WARNINGS
- QUERIES
- WARNING LETTER
- FINES
- SUSPENSIONS: Definite and Indefinite (WITHOUT PAY) – Proprietors prerogative
- COMPULSORY LEAVE WITHOUT PAY: Proprietor’s prerogative
- WITHDRAWAL OF BENEFITS AND PRIVILEGES HITHERTO ENJOYED:
Proprietor’s prerogative
- DEMOTION-Proprietors prerogative
- TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT- Proprietor’s prerogative
NB: Please note that on no account should any staff be physically assaulted by the
proprietor, no matter the provocation. (i.e. Slapped, Pushed etc)
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MAINTAINING STAFF DISCIPLINE IN SCHOOLS
1. Every school should compulsorily have a well-articulated (written) Code of Conduct which all staff must adhere to (See recommended code of conduct for private school staff overleaf)
2. All staff must be aware of the existence of the Code of Conduct, a copy should be given to each staff at the point of employment. Note that placing of a copy on the notice board will not suffice. Each staff should have a personal copy.
3. Regular staff appraisal exercise should be carried out in the school, possibly on a monthly basis.
4. Every school should have a staff disciplinary committee with clearly spelt out terms of reference. Members will be appointed by the school administrator and they must be individuals of proven reputation for fairness and justice
5. All staff disciplinary matters MUST be referred to the committee; the administrator should not unilaterally take disciplinary decisions as he/she may be biased.
6. All staff should be given fair hearing and an opportunity to defend/explain them before final collective disciplinary decision is taken.
7. Decisions should be taken based on facts and evidence, not on sentiments or as a result a vindictiveness, witch-hunting or bias.
8. The administrator should not be a member of the committee, and should not interfere with the execution of their terms of reference, the final report should however be submitted to the administrator to take a final decision.
9. Punishment should as much as possible be commensurate with the offence committed. Dont over punish or under punish.
