What if school heads are biased?

By Mudasir Ali

In common parlance, the head of any school is the one who possesses the qualities like leadership, sensibility, honesty, clairvoyance, and above all good administration.

Besides, they must be more innovative to bring a change in the areas in which they will run the institution very effectively and efficiently. We draw a map for any new work through proper scaling in order to systematize the work. Likewise, the heads of the institutions have to chalk out plans for academics after taking the charges.

They need to observe the mindsets of all the staff members individually, talk to them for knowing their concerns and opinions so that they can figure out wide spectrum and developing positive attitude in them. These prerequisites are essential that will help formulate the tasks giving to staff.

It would gradually stimulate working environment in the schools. It is neither inferiority nor any kind of slavery that teaching staff is subservient to their heads but it is a sort of obedience that makes them friendly with each other and coordinates them for a successful mission.

The academics take leaps on different stages and overcome of the various challenges if approaches are appropriate and goal oriented. Heads should always think positively and take care of the staff in every aspect. The arms and legs for running the schools is the staff but the entire supervision is at the helm of heads.

A simple decision if they want to take in the schools which fall in their jurisdiction needs suggestions from every angle not trying to ignore some but allow others (staff members) for suggestions is a big failure for the schools.

Few ‘Yes men’ fellows and nincompoops are the dangerous ones who ruin the system by their blind acceptance instead using common sense in hard situations. This makes the heads unscrupulous to take harsh steps by crushing others who could not speak on their face. Isn’t? It seems more than the despotic rule in which dictators gag the voice of their opponents. Isn’t this system will turn out to be the regime of humiliation? YES, it swallows innocent voices in the name of disobeying the heads.

There are many examples in private and public schools in which the heads rule just as dictators by giving orders to staff despite their scheduled works like teaching and other activities. In the name of administration, Heads have to understand that they will not stay long in these private schools as this is someone’s property for running the business. They should treat their staff as true compatriots and give them high respect but should not humiliate any one in front of other staff members and students.

To run the administration is not the only part to be taken into account but many more moral principles should be having in the heads through which they will be considered a beacon of light for the staff and each one will obviously be agreed to their orders and directions. The course of action would represent the true picture of the heads unless and until they are amicable at them. The work of staff itself leaves behind its quality output when impartiality makes prevalence from top to bottom. Not all schools run with higher grades of excellence but some where the heads are themselves workaholic and encourage their teaching staff on every mode. They work altogether to achieve the set targets.

Let’s draw our attention towards the current system of education in private schools that seems truly unpredictable in which unusual situations sometimes happen when biasness, disparity and favoritism are promoted at the peak by our heads in one way or the other. It is a kind of partiality that destroys the image of schools. This all happens under the heads that are responsible for such discriminations mere on some matters.

Creating this environment in schools will take away the soul of education in real terms. In the teaching staff we can’t find all of having equal degrees. Some may have high and some low but dignity and value have no compromise in the system. Even heads have no right to dictate terms to staff which is not the part of system and no teacher has a right to order his own mate for doing this work. Even some of them are very sensitive and curious about the system. Their only aim is to maintain the decorum of schools and uniformity. They hardly compromise for growing this lobbying culture to marginalize others.

Many schools have faced such problems for a long period and it has let down the image of schools in the long run. A private school or a public is in peril until the head is honest and sensible. If strict rules will be implemented in the schools under the heads is not bad at all but many times heads hardly listen to teacher’s queries and requests. Their sensibility will be observed when judgments are passing in true and fair manner on the matters which are genuine. It is not a myth but many great persons who had been on top positions either in private sectors or government are more adept and experienced to work brilliantly as heads in the private schools. Why so? The main reason is that they have analyzed the system deeply. They know the value of staff and their dignity. Their kindness and sense of mind is appreciable which promptly wins the heart of their subordinates. On the other hand, in some private institutions heads having no such experience and acumen but are desired to exaggerate too much to make the influence on their subordinates is not a good way.

Their intentions are to boss the system solely. It is believed that they ruin the system by implementing the rules whimsically and arrogantly. Even their feeble ideas seem out of context owing to cloned and cantankerous mindsets. Kindness and decency scarcely matters to them as they come from Oxford University having received two to three certified degrees. Look! No matter what degrees you have received, the only side of yours is looked in the mirror through ethics and humanistic principles. We all should revert back to learn principles of life and the meaning of education. Kindly preserve the educational system in the hands of those who are first the humans in real sense. The true quality of ethics does not come from volume of books but it stems from the bighearted people whose actions speak much. Our beloved prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H also emphasizes the dignity and respect for all human beings. His teaching is meaningful and significant in this universe that would help us to understand the value of humans at institutions and workplaces. May good sense prevail and reclaim the spirit of humanity.

(The author is a columnist and working as teacher)