Quality of School Education - Essay Example

Schooling: Effectiveness, Quality, Accountability and responsiveness. Schooling: Effectiveness, Quality, Accountability and responsiveness. 1 Introduction: 1 Schooling in the UK: 2 Importance of schooling: 3 Aims and Objectives of schooling: 5 Quality of school education: 6 Effectiveness of schooling: 12 Responsiveness in the schooling system: 12 Accountability: 14 Failure and suggestions for improvement: 14 Conclusion: 16 Reference: 16 Introduction: Education has become one of the most important socially structured concepts, and the state in the current scenario looks at fulfilling a number of social responsibilities of which health and education are the most important. Education is believed to be the vehicle of change so that a better level of living can be achieved. Most scholars believe that social change can be bought about through education of the young mind and cultivating them to the idea and goal of development and growth. It has been observed in this process that the schools become the area which helps ensure that the change is bought about (ASQ online). In other words schools become the modem through which the change in the mind set of the young can be ensured so that the social scenario can be changed as a whole. Schooling thus becomes a very important tool in the hands of the state and the individuals. The word school originally has been derived from the Greek word schole which means leisure (ASQ 2009 online); it can also be interpreted as activities that include leisure. A school is usually seen as an institute where a child goes to receive education and learn from an instructor or a teacher. Most of the states today are committed to the idea of education and it has been observed that education has become compulsory in almost all states. Schooling in the UK: Schools are usually divided on the basis of their level, that is, primary and secondary. After that come the colleges and universities. But there can also be other categories into which schools can be segregated, that is, religious schools, such as madrasas, Christian schools, Khalsa, Torah Schools and others, it can also include schools which are dedicated to one particular field, such as economics, arts, sports and other such fields. These are known as alternate schools (Saltman K and Gabbard D A, Falmer R 2003) . It the country of United Kingdom, it has been seen that the term school usually refers to pre-university institutions (Ribera J). The schooling structure of the country can easily be divided into pre-school or nursery schooling, primary schooling and secondary schooling. In Scotland school performance is monitored by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of education while the institution of Ofsted has been issued the responsibility of reporting on the performances of the schools functioning in the areas of England and Wales. There has been seen that the country usually has schools where the state funds are utilized. These are known as the state schools and here the tuition is paid for by the state and is thus provided for free. There also exist the private schools, which are independent schools, and these charge tuition fees. Some of the most selective schools which are private are known as the public schools, but it has to be realized that these are indeed private and not run by the state unlike the public schools of the nation of United States of America, where public schools refer to the state run or government run schools. Importance of schooling: Schools are usually viewed by people as institutions which are modems of instruction for the young where the young minds of the individuals are channalized in the right direction, so that they can learn and hone skills; receive training and education through exposure as well as experience. A school is supposed to be an institute through which students are able to receive knowledge that will help them develop not only academically but ensure a healthy growth of their personality as a whole. Thus, the main aim or goal of most of the educational institutes today is to ensure the overall development of the individuals so that they grow up to be responsible citizens. Thus, terms such as discipline and regulation are as important terms in relation to schooling as the terms education and learning. In the following essay there shall be conducted a detailed discussion on schooling with the help of the case study of the school St John Fisher Catholic High School and College. The St John Fisher Catholic High School is an important establishment in the region. The school has been placed under the authority of the Ofsted (Nakosteen, M. 1964). The organization is established in the area north of Staffordshire. It is mainly run on voluntary aid. The area of influence is huge and it takes in students from Newcastle and also includes pupils from the Stoke on Trent. The school mainly caters to the Catholics from these regions. The total strength of the student population of the school is 976. The records of the student data base reflect that almost 83 percent of the students attending the school are catholic. The pupils are drawn from diverse social backgrounds: 9% claim free school meals, which is below the national average, but the school’s deprivation index is in line with the national average. It has been observed that for only 5 percent of the students studying in the school have English as their second language, which is lower than the average of the schooling at the national level. Also it has been observed that the students from the ethnically minor groups are less than 10 percent which is lower than the national average. The attainment of the pupils on entry is slightly above the national average. The school also has only 1.3 percent of its student body with declaration of special attention in the education sector and on the special needs register, at 5.6%, is well below national averages. The St John Catholic High School has been observed to have a good regard in the local community and is very popular among the Christian population in the area. Aims and Objectives of schooling: The basic aim s and objectives of the school as mentioned in the curriculum under the Pathways of Learning include that St John Fisher aims to develop, support and enrich all pupils’ learning in whatever their needs. As mentioned earlier, the school is catholic and it thus aims at ensuring the learning and growth of students and all others in contact with the school on the basis of the beliefs of the Bible. The basic aspiration that has been maintained by the institute is “Equality of opportunity at St John Fisher is about providing equal opportunity, parity, brilliance and fineness for all students so that it can be ensures that the utmost standards attainment can be experienced. It has been ensured that the principle of equality of opportunity is not just confined to the student body but is extended to all the various participants of the system including the employees of the school, the board, and the guardians across all ethnic identities and is based on the teaching and example of Jesus Christ. It is based on the following core values and ethos as expressed in this school's mission statement.” The school is today looking after not only the mental growth of the individuals, but after the growth and development of the individuals as a whole. It looks after the physical development through regular training and physical exercise. It also ensures that the child is not only learning the academic lessons that are taught in the classrooms but also the values that are essential for a person to know and learn. The school is the medium through which constrain and restrain is imbibed in the students. The schools inculcate feelings of discipline among the pupils and the students. This is an important part of the educational system to ensure that the young generation grows up to be model citizens who follow and obey the law. The schools also have to ensure that they inculcate social values of justice, equality, responsibility among the pupils so that their minds as well as their personalities not only grow but also develop (Free dictionary). Quality of school education: It has been observed that there are various factors that are considered important while analyzing the system of education. Of all the factors that are considered quality is one with greatest significance. Most scholars are of the belief that quality education is the basis on which not only the future of the individuals are based, but it is only through quality education that a stable society and world order be achieved. It has been said by the school authorities that quality is the most important tool in their hands to ensure that the there can be achieved continuous growth and development of the students. They continue to add that it is the responsibility of the teachers and the instructors to comprehend what development is all about and once they have realized this they can help ensure that the system of education be molded and altered to suit these requirements. “Change is possible!” It has been realized that schooling is important in the physical as well the cognitive growth of the pupils. The fact has become universal and it has been observed today that all education institutes today believe that it is only through the complete improvement of the pupil that progress and advancement of the whole society be attained. Thus the position of the education institutions in the society is that of great significance not only by the fact that they help provide education and skill development to the future citizens of any nation but also by the basic fundamental truth that they are most directly affected by any changes that are made in the common law policies (Makdisi, G. 1980). Another important fact that has to be considered is that the schooling that a person receives directly affects the future of the person both economically and socially. In fact the income that a person will be able to achieve is directly dependent on the schooling that he or she has received. It is socially accepted today that a person with a higher level of schooling is able to attain a higher level of income in their lifetime. The European Commission under the director of culture believed that the quality of schooling can be measured through studying the various factors involved in the education system (British Council). These include the essential four factors of accomplishment levels, instructive accomplishments and transitions, monitoring of school edification and school infrastructure and funds. The commission first submitted its report on June 2000. in response to the meetings that were held by the European council on the 23rd and 24th of march in the year of 2000, the European report was realized and submitted which dealt with the subject matter of quality of school education  But it has to be realized that the social educational system is only one of the many factors that helps shape the individual, and there are also other social factors which affect the education of the students except for the schools, like parents, friends, individual ability and other such factors also affect the education of an individual, aside from the formal structures of schooling. All said and done there fact that the formal structures of schooling affect the individual development cannot be ignored. The quality of schooling can thus be measured on the basis of the type of facilities that are available at the institution. The overall results of the education imparted the resources that are at the disposal and the monitoring of the education that is imparted. While looking at the individual set up of a school there has to be considered whether the school is imparting proper education. The quality of education has to extend beyond the classrooms. It has to extend to the daily lives of the pupils. For example the school has to ensure that there are facilities for the pupils to harness their various skills, such as equipments and infrastructure to support various sports like basketball, cricket, etc. Also there has to be ensured that proper infrastructure is in place so that the functioning of the school can be run smoothly. These include the lighting, the blackboards, the desks and chairs, etc. Resources have to be channalized into the educational institutions from various other sources so that these can be maintained and improved to impart better education. The school is also, as mentioned earlier, responsible for the moral growth of the students so as to ensure that values are inculcated into the development of the pupils (Bentley H, Zeigler H F). The school is thus responsible for disciplining the child, ensuring that the moral fiber of the education that is imparted is sustained. This helps ensure that the child develops in a social as well as educational manner. For example, in the case of St John Fisher School there has been seen that the reports of the Ofsted reflects that in case of the religious education of the pupils of the school is high. The report reflects the basic standards maintained by the school and entails that all students at any level of education have to receive religious education and also be able to avail of the education in the subjects that the want to pursue. It also states that all the pupils are well motivated to achieve higher standard of education and exhibit constructive attitudes towards effort. The student body of the school was found to partake positively in the classes and is expectant to participate in the lessons that are held. The students are confident in participating very insightful, critical and sensitive responses. The pupils also reflect a good understanding of the religious study that they receive and of the teachings of the Church, and they add in a considerable manner to the functioning and maintenance of the school’s organization. The school structuring and functioning reflects a strong dedication to the Catholic belief and faith and the influence of the Christian philosophy can be clearly observed in the daily aspects of the educational institute. There has been observed that the principal as well as the board of the school are completely committed to the ideals of holistic development and growth of the students through the education system which includes tolerance and integration of all the diverse aspects of society into a whole(Spielhofer, Thomas, Tom Benton, and Sandie Schagen). The education system that has been adopted by the institution and the syllabus that it follows is completely in tune with the standards that have been established by the state in regard to the educational ministry. This helps ensure equaltable growth and development (Taylor and Francis 2008). They have to be regularly tested and examinations have to be held in accordance with the standards that have been set to ensure that the functioning and education of the students is not falling short of the mark. In the case of St John Fisher high school this is achieved through periodic examinations that are held in accordance to the syllabus set by the state, and promotion is granted accordingly. This has to be ensured through the proper education of the students. In the case of St John Fisher School, the reports of Ofsted reflect “Standards of achievements are good. The work that has been achieved by the students reflects their progress through Key Stage 3. There is a good variety of assignments set and growing chances for comprehensive and discursive writing are extended to the pupils which have resulted in some inspiring, remarkable, artistic and imaginative work being created, reflecting both understanding and comprehension. Students are conscious of their goals and their development is monitored through periodic appraisal and evaluation assignments. The branch of the school is also looking at establishing a better marking plan to ensure better appraisal of the students. Work is marked and encouraging comments. The excellence of education is impressive and most of the teaching staff is highly qualified and excellent. The overall assessment of the lessons of the students was good, where almost 22 percent of the work analyzed was excellent and 78 percent was high quality work. It has been observed that the teaching staff is highly competent and has a wide range of knowledge of the subjects which helps ensure that the there is enhanced enthusiasm in the classes during lessons. The most excellent classes were observed to include a wide variety of actions with a healthy and spontaneous interaction between the students and the teaching staff. The students were motivated taking responsibility for their own learning. Another problem that is faced by most schools that leads to a fall in quality of schooling are drop outs, these could be due to various reasons such as lack of funds, ethnic differentiation, etc. it has been seen that a number of students are unable to pursue their education in the long run due to the fact that there are financial difficulties (Fundamentals of Educational Planning: Improving school Effectiveness). This is a problem that ahs been addressed by many schools which look at reducing the number of drop outs due to financial problems by educating students through scholarship programs. This system is also present at St John Fisher School and College. It has also been seen that in cases where there is majority of a certain community, there are drop outs. These can be due to cases of ethnical differentiation, which can be avoided in schools by teaching the students the value of equability and tolerance. It has been observed that in the daily working of the school all the varying participants of the institution are valued where the students are taught to treat everyone on equal basis as the creation of god. The conduct of the students with regard to each other is exceptional ad there have not been observed any ethnic tensions among the student population. There has been observed that the curriculum of the school is such that in Key Stage 3, all students learn Islam, Judaism and Hinduism; while at Key Stage 4 students reflect upon the various religious perspectives, customs and beliefs. Collective worship openly welcomes pupils who are not Catholic and the school goes to great lengths to respect and accommodate the needs of pupils from other faiths. Effectiveness of schooling: School effectiveness is believed to be an indicator of the progress of the students in the long run. Most scholars are of the belief that the educational progress of the students is the key factor that reflects the effectiveness of the school. Thus, the better the performance of the pupils, the more effective the school is. The simple meaning of the word effectiveness reflects goal achievement. Thus, a good and effective school will be one where the education that is imparted is at a higher level than others. Schools in practice measure achievement through measuring the success in basic subjects like mathematics, languages, sciences and the vernacular. But, in actuality the overall performance of the students need to be considered, such as the academic performance as well as the performance in other areas such as debates, dramatics, etc so that the overall growth of the students can be studied. Responsiveness in the schooling system: The next important factor that needs to be considered while looking at the education system of any school is the responsiveness of the school. The responsiveness of the school is at two levels and it looks at the relationship of the educational institute with the guardians and the re-responsiveness of the educational institute to the interaction. This has emerged as a very important step in the educational system in the modern era, it has been realized that the education of the child is simply not limited to the education that he receives inside the school but extends to the various aspects of his or her life. Thus, this method helps ensure that all the experiences of the child are taken into account and synchronized. This is established through establishment of continuous dialogue between the parents and the school authorities. This has led to the development of the system of PTA, that is, parent teacher meetings. In such meetings the parents of the students meet the teachers on a regular basis and discuss the over all growth and development of the child, this helps ensure that the teachers as well as the parents are aware of the education that is being imparted to the child. Also it allows ensuring, that the any difficulties that are being faced by the student can be addressed and accommodated. This helps ensure that the parents are also integrated into the educational system of their children (School Effectiveness and School Improvement an International Journal of Research). For example in the basic review of the college there has been clearly stated by the authorities of the college that “Progress reports to parents are accessible and appropriate, in order to ensure that all parents have the opportunity to participate in the dialogue. All guardians are expected and motivated to contribute at all levels in the educational system which their ward is involved in. (UNESCO). The educational institute performs in a joint effort with guardians and the society to expand and promote optimistic outlook to variety and to deal with definite incidents. The educational institutes undertake various measures to promote the association and contribution of guardians of the students from the ethnically minority groups sections of the community. Information data for guardians is effortlessly available in easily comprehensible language (Bauch P A Goldring E B, 1995). Guardian participation is followed and promoted to guarantee the partaking of all groups. Informal events are designed to include the whole community and at times may target minority or marginalized groups.” Accountability: The schools are today not only responsive but are also accountable to the parents and to the community (National school of Safety and security services, online). They are accountable for the wellbeing and safety of the students. St John Fisher Catholic High School has ensured that it addresses its legal responsibility under s175 Education Act 2002 and the 1989 Children Act and undertakes measures to ensure that it responds sincerely to its duty of caring and conservation the wellbeing of all pupils (Toppo, Grey 2006). Child Protection has to be considered within professionals’ wider “safeguarding” responsibilities that include a duty to co-operate under the Children Act 2004. Within the context of Every Child Matters, this takes account of the need for children “being healthy and staying safe” (School accountability reports, online). Failure and suggestions for improvement: But there has to be realized that the education system today is not completely fulfilling all its duties. The system has become too rigid, and the bases on which students are judged are narrow. The system that exists fails to take into account that the capacities of different individuals are different. There are some who are challenged physically; there are others who are restrained due to other social and economic factors. Also the system lays over emphasis on academic excellence and this has led to an increase in the pressure experienced by the youth. There have been observed that the number of suicides among the student population has risen. Therefore, there has to be ensured that the system of education is reformed where there is less emphasis laid on marks and greater emphasis laid on overall development of the individuals taking into account their peculiarities. There can be a number of changes that can be adopted in the existing schooling system to ensure that education system become more efficient. The first important change that needs to be made in the system is that there has to be ensured that the overemphasis on academia has to be reduced. There has to be realized that the capability of each individual is different and the judging of a pupil’s capability has to be individualistic and not on the basis of some set guidelines. Another important factor that needs to be considered is that the education system also has to look into the other areas of interests such as dramatics, sports, elocution and other such fields. These have to be promoted through the education system to ensure that the various creative talents of the students are tapped into and nurtured. The system of education today has become too restrictive and there can clearly be seen a rigid adherence to the set norms and rules. The system has to grow flexible so that the changing requirements and demands of the individuals can be addressed. Conclusion: Schooling can thus easily be described as an important factor in the social and economic life of an individual and it has to be realized that the education of a person defines the human being as what he or she will be in the long run. The education that a person has received helps in the formation of his or her religious beliefs, social values, and even affects the economic standing that the person will achieve in then society. Thus, schooling has an important space in the public as well as the private sphere and there have to be bought about certain reforms to meet the needs and demands of the people. Reference: ASQ: Quality of Education, accessed on January 8, 2010 at http://www.asq.org/education/why-quality/overview.html ASQ 2009: Preparing for a new school year- why quality and continuous improvement? Pub. Communities and Networking, Monday 24th, August 2009. Bauch P A Goldring E B: Parent Involvement and school responsiveness: Educational Evaluation and policy analysis Spring 1995, Vol 17, No 1. pp 1-21. Bentley H, Zeigler H F: Traditions and Encounters, an educational review, accessed on January 8, 2010, pp 34-67. British council: Schooling and education, accessed on January 8, 2010 at http://www.educationuk.org/pls/hot_bc/page_pls_all_homepage. European Report on Quality of education 2000, accessed on January 8, 2010 at http://74.125.153.132/search?q=cache:wGPOAJrpPaMJ:ec.europa.eu/education/policies/educ/indic/rapinen.pdf+quality+in+schooling&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=in. Free dictionary: Schooling, accessed on January 8, 2010 at http://www.thefreedictionary.com/schooling. Fundamentals of Educational Planning: Improving school Effectiveness, accessed on January 8, 2010 at http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001224/122424E.pdf. Makdisi, G. 1980: ‘On the origin and development of the college in Islam and the West’, in Islam and the Medieval West, ed. Khalil I.Semaan, State University of New York Press Nakosteen, M. 1964: ‘History of Islamic origins of Western Education AD 800-1350’, University of Colorado Press, Colorado. National school of safety and security services, accessed on January 8, 2010 at http://www.schoolsecurity.org/trends/bullying.html. Ribera, J. 1928: ‘Disertaciones Y Opusculos’, 2 vols. Madrid Saltman K and Gabbard D A, Falmer R 2003: Education as Enforcement: The Militarization and Corporatization of Schools, 2003 School Accountability reports, accessed on January 8, 2010 at http://reportcard.cde.state.co.us/reportcard/CommandHandler.jsp. School Effectiveness and School Improvement an International Journal of Research, Policy and Practice, Vol 20, accessed on January 8, 2010 at http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~db=all~content=g911163560 Spielhofer, Thomas, Tom Benton, Sandie Schagen: “A study of the effects of school size and single-sex education in English schools.” Research Papers in Education Jun. 2004:133 159, 27. Taylor and Francis 2008: School effectiveness and improvement, pub. An international Journal of Research Vol. 21 Toppo, Greg 2006: "High-tech school security is on the rise." USA Today 9 Oct 2006. UNESCO: Improvement in the quality of education, accessed on January 8, 2010 at http://www.unesco.org/education/gmr_download/chapter2.pdf. Read More