XN000022-1987-05-30 — Page 4

SATURDAY, MAY 30, 1987

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SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION A FORMIDABLE CHALLENGE

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THE RAPID EXPANSION AND IMPROVEMENT OF SECONDARY EDUCATION DURING THE LAST DECADE HAS LED TO A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF STAFF IN LOCAL SCHOOLS, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR Y.T. LI, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY).

THIS RESULTED IN A STANDARD-SIZE SECONDARY SCHOOL NOW USUALLY HAVING AS MANY AS 50 TEACHERS, MR LI ADDED,

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE MIDDLE MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP FOR CATHOLIC COUNCIL SECONDARY SCHOOLS, MR LI SAID THE COMPLEXITIES OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION, COUPLED WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF A LARGE STAFF, PRESENTED A FORMIDABLE CHALLENGE TO ALL SCHOOL PRINCIPALS.

+THERE IS FORTUNATELY A GROWING RECOGNITION THAT THE PRINCIPAL NEEDS TO BE EQUIPPED WITH ADEQUATE KNOWLEDGE OF MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS AND SKILLS IN ORDER TO MANAGE HIS OR HER SCHOOL EFFECTIVELY, MR LI SA ID.

+PERHAPS LESS WIDELY APPRECIATED, HOWEVER, IS THE FACT THAT MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS AND SKILLS ARE IMPORTANT NOT ONLY TO SCHOOL PRINCIPALS BUT ALSO TO THE SENIOR TEACHERS INVOLVED IN SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION THE MIDDLE MANAGERS WITHIN THE SCHOOL, +

NOTING THAT MOST ORGANISATIONS RELIED HEAVILY ON DELEGATION TODAY, MR LI SAID DELEGATION MUST BE BASED ON TRUST AND IN TURN, WAS BUILT ON THE MANAGER'S CONFIDENCE THAT HIS ASSISTANTS HAD THE ABILITY AND SKILLS NECESSARY TO ASSIST IN THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATION OF THE ORGANISATION INCLUDING STRONG POWERS OF CO-ORDINATION.

ON THE INTEGRATION OF MANAGEMENT THEORY WITH EDUCATION, MR LI SAID IT WAS A FIELD WHICH IN MANY RESPECTS WAS STILL LARGELY UNEXPLORED. MOST OF THE MANAGEMENT THEORIES COULD NOT BE DIRECTLY APPLIED WITHOUT MODIFICATION TO EDUCATION BECAUSE IT WAS GENERALLY NOT PROFIT-ORIENTED. IN ADDITION, EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES. TEACHERS' PERFORMANCE, SCHOOL EFFECTIVENESS AND THE LIKE WERE NOT EASILY MEASURABLE, HE

SAID.

+THE INTEGRATION OF MANAGEMENT THEORY WITH EDUCATION IS THEREFORE BECOMING AN AREA OF GROWING CONCERN AMONG EDUCATORS,+ SAID MR LI, ADDING THAT TODAY'S WORKSHOP WAS A SIGNIFICANT AND POSITIVE STEP IN THE DIRECTION OF SUCH INTEGRATION IN LOCAL SYSTEM.

MR LI EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THE PARTICIPANTS WOULD GAIN VALUABLE INSIGHT INTO THE PROBLEMS ATTACHED TO MIDDLE MANAGEMENT IN SCHOOLS FROM THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY SPEAKERS FROM THE FACULTY OF EDUCATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG AND WOULD BENEFIT MORE AFTER JOINING THE PANEL DISCUSSION DURING THE COURSE OF THE WORKSHOP.

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