10.2.A- Duties of the School Head

The head of a school has to perform multifarious duties and responsibilities. He is responsible for anything and everything going on in the school he has to deal with teaches, students and their parents, and general public. He has to plan, organise and supervise the smooth running of the school. The most important functions of the headmaster are:

1. Planning

Planning is the first and foremost duty of the head of a school. He has to plan a number of things in the school, with the cooperation of the teachers, the pupils, the parents and general public. Planning goes on the throughout the year.

It consists of the following phases:

i) Planning before the opening of the school

The headmaster has to plan a number of things before the opening of the school he will chalk out the policies and rules of admission. Dates of admission are to be publicized. He should convene the meetings of the staff and discuss with teachers the activities and programmes for the whole year. Thus the school calendar may be prepared in advance. In case of need, fresh staff will be recruited before the actual functioning of the school. The headmaster must also check that the whole school plant is in fine shape, and the equipment is adequate. He must also see that various registers needed for different purposes are there in the school.

ii) Planning during the first week

In the beginning, the headmaster has to set the school machinery into motion. Work allotment to the teachers is an important function of the headmaster. He should urge the teachers to balance class-sizes and classify the students into suitable groups or sections. Preparation of time-table- general, teacher wise and class wise and class-wise is another important thing to be done. Unless the time-table is prepared, school work cannot be started. General assemble of the students may be convened and instructions be given to the students. The prescribed text- books are to be announced.

iii) Planning during the year

As the classes start, the headmaster starts attending to the activities and programmes mentioned in the school calendar. Detailed planning of each activity is to be done. The headmaster has to prepare the budget of the year, keeping in view the estimated expenditure in the session.

iv) Planning at the end of the year

The headmaster will ask the teacher to prepare reports of the activities done during the year. Various records have to be completed. Holding of valedictory and annual functions have to be planned.

v) Planning of the next year

The headmaster should convene staff meetings and appraise the year's work. In the light of this appraisal, next year's work has to be planned.

2. Organization

The headmaster is not to plan things theoretically; he is to give them a practical shape. In this regard, he must organise the following items:

i) Organising instructional work

The head of a school must organise the instructional work. He will ask the teacher to divide the year's work into smaller units. This will also involve the formulation of objectives, selection of methods of teaching, classification of pupils, framing of time-table etc.

ii) Organising co-curricular activities

The headmaster must organise the activities of the school, with the cooperation of staff and students. There can be so many school activities like sports, scouting, girl-guiding, red-cross, parent-teacher association, celebrations of religious and social functions and festivals etc.

iii) Organising school plant.

The headmaster is to organise the school plant so that it is properly maintained, equipped and up to maximum use. Class-room library, laboratory etc. are to be well furnished. Repairs may be done wherever needed.

iv) Organising school office

The office work must also be properly organised. Routine work, registration, correspondence, maintenance of accounts etc. have to be organised so that office work is done regularly and efficiently.

3. Teaching

The headmaster must share instructional work with the teachers. He should consider himself teacher first and teacher last. His teaching should be exemplary. This way he will also keep in touch with the work of the teachers and the achievements of students. The headmaster will understand the problems of the teachers and the pupils better-when he himself teaches.

4. Supervision

The head of a school should not simply remain sitting in his office. He should supervise the working of the school, here, there and everywhere. He should supervise instructional work. He may have a round of the class- rooms. However, it is not to be fault-finding business. The headmaster should supervise the activities going on in the playground, hall, art-room, library, workshop etc. He must supervise the proper use and upkeep of school materials. In general, he should supervise the behavior of students, provide facilities for them, maintain cleanliness of the campus etc.

5. Guidance

The headmaster is not simply a fault-finder. Wherever he finds defects, errors and inefficiency, he should show the correct path. He must guide the teachers in the methods of teaching and Organisation of activities. Students are to be guided in matters of study, activities headmaster is to guide parents, higher authorities etc.

6. Maintaining Relations

The reputation of the headmaster and of the school mostly depends upon the relations that he maintains with the staff, students and their parents and the community.

i) Relation with the staff

The head of a school must work in a team spirit and he should regard the teachers as his co-workers. He should not have bossing tendency. He must give due regard to the teachers, their views and their problems.

ii) Relation with the pupils

"Great headmasters have been great friends of pupils". The headmaster should think that the teachers, the school and he himself, all are meant for the pupils. He must listen to their genuine difficulties and try to remove the same. He must provide proper facilities for their learning.

iii) Relations with the parents

The headmaster must maintain link between the parents and the school. They may be invited to the school on important occasions. He should organise parent-teacher association in the school. When the parents come to school they should be treated with courtesy and be given due respect.

iv) Relations with the Community

The school is meant for the community and must be made a community centre. A number of community activities may be launched by the school. Community members may also be invited to the school on certain occasions.

7. General Administration:

As the head of the school, the headmaster is responsible for all that is being done in or by the school. He is to issue necessary orders and get their compliance. He must see that the teachers and the pupils attend to their duties punctually and regularly. He must ensure that human and material resources of the school are adequate. Purchase should be made wherever needed, in accordance with the prescribed rules. He is responsible for the maintenance of accounts and submitting official information and correspondent.