© 2010 ABUBAKAR ABU AISHATUE-mail:

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Title

Resources Management: A Tool for Effective Running of Schools by Head Teachers in Nigeria

Abstract

The paper examined the types of resources available for use through resource classification. Both human and non human resources were thoroughly examined. The paper further identified the various ways that resources can be acquired for effective utilization by the head teachers. The various roles played by teachers in the course of managing both human and non human resources were exposed. Such roles included developing good working relationships among their staff members. Measures by which head teachers can mobilize resources and effectively utilize them to achieve the school goals/objectives were also highlighted e.g. partitioning a new classroom to decongest population of pupils in the classroom. Conclusions were drawn and recommendation made appropriately at the primary school level in Nigeria. Some of which included prompt payment of teacher’s salaries and automatic scholarship to be awarded for further studies to teachers and provision of adequate funds and infrastructural facilities by the government.

Country

NIGERIA

Author Details

AUTHOR
Name of author / Abubakar Abu Aishatu (Mrs)
Name of Institution / FederalCapitalTerritoryCollege Education,
Address of Institution / FCTCollege of Education, Zuba, P.M.B 61, Garki, AbujaNigeria.
E-mail address of author /
Author biography
ABUBAKAR ABU AISHATU (MRS), is a Master’s Degree holder in Home Economics Education (Home Management) from University of Nigeria Nsukka in Nigeria. She is currently a Lecturer in Department of Home Economics, Federal Capital Territory College of Education, Zuba Abuja – Nigeria. She has attended local conferences and has written scholarly articles in both local and international journals. This include: Enhancing Consumer Credit Accessibility and Utilization to improve the Quality of life of Nigeria Women.

Category

-Education

Theme

- Sustainable Development

Type of Contribution

- Discussion Paper

Resources Management: A Tool for Effective Running of Schools by Head Teachers in Nigeria

Introduction

Resources are assets used to accomplish goals. According to Olson and Defrain (2000), resources are tools, talents and possessions used to create a life style, solve everyday problems and reach goals for better living. Resources are also means to work with to maintain control over ones life as well as build ones life style.

Unfortunately the abundant resources have received little attention in most literatures. This has made it possible for people to underrate the concept “Resources and the advantage embedded in them”. They are not harnessed or mobilized (Madu, 2006). For this reason, the management of resources becomes imperative, for it is useful in the running of home, schools and trade centers, as many resources are involved in attending to the needs of the individuals, family, community and the nation at large.

In the school, management of resources could lead to conducive environment for learning. Management according to Akintunde (2001) is the process by which the goals of the organization are attained by directing the efforts of others in the system. In addition Abubakar (2008) opined that management process entail application of four interrelated concepts, planning, organizing, implementing and evaluating the use of resources to achieve goals. The good foundation in the schools are the bed rock of the society which gives rise to a great nation. And when a nation is great, people tend to be happy and more productive. Therefore resource management is of paramount importance in development which is the context of this paper.

Resource Classification

Resources are what enable people to turn goals into reality. They are the things that one uses to achieve goals ones life. Generally there are many controversy over the classification of resources. Sasse (1997) classified resources into three main groups. These are human, materials and community resources. However, Nikel, Rice and Tucker (1976) classified resources into human and non human. Whatever the case may be, resources are resources. The most important aspect of resource classification is that the human resources are that which exist within people such as abilities and characteristics of individuals. And the non human are those things which exist outside people, but controlled, utilized or possessed by people such as time, money etc.

A CHART SHOWING RESOURCE CLASSIFICATION

Fig I

F. II

(Adapted from Mckel, Rice and Tucker 1976)

HUMAN RESOURCE

Human resources are abilities and characteristics of individual and other resources that can not be utilized independently of people. These human resources have been categorized into cognitive, affective, psychomotor and temporal resources, which are similar to the blooms, taxonomy (Madu, 2006). Cognitive resources are mental traits such as aptitude, intelligence, judgment etc.

The affective resources are human traits pertaining to emotions and feelings expressed in appreciation, faith, patience, honesty etc while the psychomotor resources stresses of muscular activities and mental processes to develop traits and skills. These comprise of fatigue tolerance level, vitality, smell, communication skills. The temporal resources concerns the uses of clock time, this is the process of perceiving passage of time, pace of activity routine, and assimilating time use.

NON HUMAN RESOURCES

The non-human resources are the usable things found outside the people and in the environment which can help to achieve goals. The nonhuman resources are further subdivided into Economics and Environmental resources Fig. II.

Economics Resources

As the name implies covers money and material possessions which have values and can create satisfaction. They include money income, fringe benefits, credit and wealth.

Money: These are monetary benefit derived from capital or labour which include tips, bonus payments, royalty payments, wages, commissions, interest, dividends, pensions etc.

Fringe Benefits: Are resources from advantages in goods and services from employment, but exclude money income. These include medical care services, paid vocation, retirement programme paid by employers.

Credit: Are purchasing powers expanded through deferred payment of soft goods and services. Examples are cash loans, service credit, installment buying.

Wealth: Is a composite of holding real property, and other income producing assets, plus all the durables such as household equipment, furnishings and personal possession.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES

Environmental resources are classified as either physical and social environmental resources.

Physical Environmental Resources

The physical environmental resources are further classified into natural tangible surrounding known as the element of environment and climate perceived by the sense of touch e.g. soil, terrain, rain and minerals. The natural less tangible are also element of environment and climate which can be measured such as air, light, sound, temperature and humidity.

Social Environmental Resources

The social environmental resources are also grouped into social organization, economic institutions, political institution and community facilities and services.

Social Organization

These are the cooperative human interaction systems that influences on individuals, values, standard customs, norms etc. they include, nuclear and extended family circles, friends, associate, civic groups, community, national and world organizations.

Economics Institutions

They are business and industrial establishments that provides goods and services to public. They are the business industry, stores and shopping centers, service markets, banks etc.

Political Institutions

These are the governmental structures and systems that influences a persons behaviour such as local government, city, country, state and nations and the network of laws that each encompasses.

Community Facilities

These are shared resources provided by organizations, business or government such as police and fire protection, churches, mosques, schools, roadways, recreation centers, parks and libraries.

HOW TO ACQUIRE HUMAN RESOURCES BY HEAD TEACHERS

Acquiring resources is crucial so that they can be effectively managed to improve the quality of life desired. It is not always what a people have but what they can do with the resources count most in the long run.

In the case of the ability of man for production work is routed on his capacity and potentials, capacity consist the individuals cognitive, (mental) psychomotor (physical) and affective (attitudinal, Fig. 1). While potentials are the latent, hidden abilities and talents that can be activated and developed for superior performance. Human resources have to be identified, tested for their quality, the degree of excellence of each of the cognitive, affective and psychomotor, are properties available for productive work. Therefore, these are the qualities to be looked for by head teachers in order to employ teachers. The process can be enhanced through recruitment, selection and placement.

Recruitment: Is the process of enlisting or obtaining potentials employee application through specific policy and procedural, guidelines.

Selection: Refers to identifying and appointing a new employee from among others applicant through laid down criteria and procedure i.e. interview.

Placement: Is the terminal employment process which is assigning a person to given job after interview.

ACQUIRING NON HUMAN RESOURCES BY THE HEAD TEACHERS

The need for adequate Economic and Environmental resources for running of the schools can not be overstated. This is because poor funding among others contribute to the failure of the school programmes economics resources are needed for building classrooms, furniture, transportation, etc. money will facilitate the construction of adequate space, the use of better equipment, the development of better teaching materials etc. The head teacher have available sources of funds that can assist in the running of schools which include federal, state and local government, communities, parents teachers association, individuals and religious organizations (Aguokogbou, 2003).

  1. Allocation by Government: The three arms of government should provide substantially for the successful running of the schools.
  2. Education Levies: This involves taxing each adult in a given community or state. A specific amount can be realized from individuals as tax or education levy.
  3. Property tax and Value Added Tax: Individuals can be made to pay tax on property owned. The tax to be paid on the property can be graduated according to the nature, type and value of the property. The properties to be taxed can include cars, houses etc. this can be carried out by a government establishment or agency.
  4. Financial Institutions and Companies: The financial institutions e.g. banks which should be made to donate certain percentages of their annual profits as well as given free interest loans. While the companies can be made to pay Education rate according to the staff strength.
  5. Parents-Teachers-Association: this group should be made to increase their contributions. Although they are the only viable group assisting in the running of the schools.
  6. Communities: Communities should be called upon to donate for the upkeep of the schools especially in the area of maintenance and development of some plants.
  7. Religious organization: These groups of people should be encouraged to donate either by assisting in building classroom blocks or buildings as well as provision of teaching materials.
  8. Social clubs/professional Associations/Trade Union organization can give their donations.
  9. Land Lord can subscribe any amount of money collected as house rent to fund schools.

MANAGEMENT OF RESOURCES

Management entails the cooperation of people and materials towards achievement of set goals. According to Ogwo (1996) management as a term is strictly used for the purpose of controlling activities of industries, firms, private business establishment and large cooperation. The activities of management involves decision making and implementation which, consist of planning or forecasting, organizing, commanding, coordinating, controlling, allocating, evaluating and developing.

Planning or Forecasting: Is projecting or designing a course of action, which may be short term or long term plan.

Organizing: Requires the specification of the unit functions and in turn coordinate resources for the execution of the laid down plan.

Controlling and Allocating: This refers to the activities that involves examining decision and apportioning available resources appropriately to meet the set objectives.

Commending: Is the motivating function of the manager which he undertakes to maximize employees’ productivity.

Evaluating: Deals with purposive assessment of the entire system on which the manager operates.

In this case the importance of head-teachers as key administrators in schools can not be under estimated. According to Uduchukwu (2003), they perform roles of managers which are decision making and implementation. As the situation may arise, the head teacher assumes roles of instructional leaders, organizers, public relations officers, liaison officer and resources mobilizers etc.

Head Teachers as Instructional Leader

The head teacher can assume this responsibility as follows:

  1. Give the right leadership to enable the school to achieve its objective to a reasonable degree.
  2. Identify the problems existing in his school and solve them by organizing the human and materials resources available to him to solve the problems.
  3. Develop a good working relationship among his staff members and encourage their creativity and innovations.
  4. Develop the right atmosphere for teaching and learning by seeking cooperation of the teachers for operational goals development.
  5. They must arrange for in-service training courses for their teachers so as to acquire appropriate skills.
  6. They are in charge of evaluating the educational achievement of the school.

HEAD TEACHER AS AN ORGANIZER

  1. He should use resources given to him in away that will bring good name to the school.

This can be achieved through:

-Assigning pupils to suitable class and classrooms,

-Assigning both teaching and administrative duties to suitable staff and drawing up time table for the smooth running of the school.

-Provide adequate facilities for teaching and learning.

-Motivate the teachers to think of innovations and extraordinary solutions to problems affecting the school. He should also motivate to think of doing something for them.

-He should organize discussions with his staff on legal matters such as civic rights and special education, accountabilities and programme evaluation and students assessment policy, public relation, marking the school and moving beyond controversy.

-He should offer individual support in case of emergency.

-Allow for professional practices and valves.

-Give reward and punishment where necessary.

HEAD TEACHER AS A PUBLIC RELATION OFFICER

  1. He is a liaison officer (middlemen) between the school and controlling authority, and between the school and the local community.
  2. The head teacher is expected to always interpret the official policy of the education system to his staff.
  3. He should identify cultural themes, values and dreams that people can rally around in a community to convinced them that it is the proper goal.
  4. He is a responsible officer in the central educational authority, and to implement the decisions of the educational authority.
  5. He is in charge of implementing any national agenda for educational reform.

ABILITY TO MOBILIZE RESOURCES TO ACHIEVE GOAL

The Head teacher can use human and non-human resource to achieve school goal by deciding to partition a classroom to decongest population of pupils in the classroom. The carpenter sin the school can be assigned the responsibility of demarcating a classroom by using the supplies of ceiling board from store. The Head teacher mobilize other carpenters to produce sets of desks and benches for the new classroom. Pupils could contribute by bringing brooms from home to take charge of sweeping the classrooms and the surrounding daily; without the effort of all the persons involved in the innovation, the new classroom would not have become a reality.

Conclusion

Teaching is a profession that allows the progress and achievement of children to depends on how teachers coordinate their work therefore teachers level of satisfaction at work must be between the head teacher, the teacher and students/pupils who determine the standard of school. Conducive atmosphere will motivate all concerned with education to work hard, but things will fall apart in an un-conducive atmosphere. Head teachers cordial relationship with the community will attract the community participation in the affairs of the school, but where the relationship is not cordial the reverse will be the case. Poor instructional materials affect teaching and learning negatively, illegal collection of levy ruins education and there should be final halt, or termination behaviours, which are process in resources management.

Recommendations

In view of enormous importance placed in the Educational sector to boast national development. The following should be put in place by the Federal, State, Local Government/Non Governmental Organizations.

  1. Adequate provision be made for prompt/regular payment of teachers salary.
  2. Automatic scholarship to be awarded to teachers to train in order to improve their standards.
  3. Teachers are to be the highest paid in the civil service.
  4. The three tiers of government should embark on provision of infrastructural facilities in all the primary schools in the Nation in order to provide a new outlook to the primary schools.
  5. Head teacher are to undergo administrative/management courses to arm them with tools necessary for achievement of objectives of the school.
  6. Pupils are to be provided with meals or launch in schools to take care of their nutritional status.

References