Types and Approaches of Educational Planning

 

Elaborate on the Types and Approaches of Educational Planning.

Course: Educational Leadership and Management

Course Code  8605

Level: B.Ed Solved Assignment

ANSWER 

Approaches to Education Planning

Educational planning till recently has been undertaken as a separate exercise having no substantial links with planning in other socio-economic sectors. The first linkages took place in a financial context since it was found necessary to reconcile expenditure on education with outlays in other sectors. Educationists found themselves forced to demonstrate that education was not only a consumption commodity rather it has presented an investment or pre-investment which is vital for economic development. The economists on their part began to take interest in education and conducted basic studies on the economic role of education. Such studies attempted to quantify the contributions of educated manpower to increases in national incomes and productivity.

The first indication of a link between education and the economy was a result of attempts to match training facilities to the forecasts of manpower requirements of various sectors of the economy. Later, more comprehensive approaches were evolved to adopt education to general development. Education plans were thought out and prepared in conjunction with other planning activities. Some of the most familiar approaches are briefly described. Planners have developed formal methodologies for planning. The three most common methodologies are

(i)                  The Social Demand Approach:

(ii)                The Manpower  Requirements Approach; and

(iii)               The  Rate of Returns Approach.

i)  The Social Demand Methodology

This aims at planning education to meet the demands of the society for education. It views education as something good in itself and required by every individual. If this methodology is adopted, educational institutions and facilities will be located wherever they are needed. Societies where this approach is used are mostly; those which aim at social equality or culture or the spread of an ideology; and those (especially political leaders) who have respect for public demands. The Social Demand Approach requires a rational method of location and distribution of educational facilities so that they will respect the population distribution (by numbers, age, sex, geographical densities, etc.). Thus this methodology emphasizes equitable distribution mostly by universalization of some levels of education. The problem with this methodology is that it easily gives rise to over-expansion, poor facilities, irrelevant curricula and consequently poor quality (falling standards).

ii)  The Manpower Requirement Methodology

This approach focuses on the objective of using education to produce the required manpower for development. This approach adopts several methods to forecast or project the numbers, types, levels and distribution of manpower so that educational plans, content and programmes should focus on those identified manpower needs. Some of the methods used include

(a) The Employers’ Opinion Method (by which employers furnish data on their manpower needs for the future, as these figures are used to project the manpower requirements by levels, skills, etc.)

 (b) the Incremental Labour Output Ratio (ILOR) Method, by this method a fixed relationship is assumed to exist between the increment of a certain category of labour (e.g., or Middle Level) and the growth of output of an economic sector or national income,

(c) The International Comparison Method: which involves using data or equations based on other developed and developing countries to forecast the manpower requirements in another country by processes of Analogy, or the Harbison’s Rule of Thumb (e.g. that an increase of 1% in normal output should be accompanied by an increase of 2% in the Senior, and 3% in the International Manpower):

(d) the Density Ratio Method (an estimation of stable ratios between different categories of manpower).

iii)  The Rate of Returns Methodology

This method attempts to determine the private and public costs of education of various types and various levels with the projected benefits or returns (using cost-benefit analysis) to such education. This methodology takes the view that education is essentially an investment, which like other investments should be capable of yielding some profits over time, after discounting or adjusting for unemployment, wastage ability variables, and labour force participation. The problem with this methodology is that most of the effects or benefits of education (e.g. changes in values, attitudes and other ‘spill-over effects) are not amenable to precise computation.

In most of the developing countries, the tendency has been to adopt different methods at different times and for different levels depending on the imperative needs of society. Thus many such countries may be said to be using a synthetic approach (which implies a methodology that takes a bit of each of the above methodologies. For example, Primary and Middle School Education.

iv)  Unit Costs

Average, total, unit costs, etc.

v)  Equality and Disparity Issues

Access to Educational System by age, sex, geographical distribution, spatial dispersal, etc.

vi)  Organizational Structures

Communication flows along with the distribution of power, authority and functions.

vii)  Demographic Factors

Age, sex, geographical distribution, population dynamics, migrations.

viii)  Political Factors

Political commitments, policy and administrative support.

ix)  External Efficiency:

Relevance, responsiveness

x)  Occupational Needs

Present and future which should be according to various levels of education and different sectors of the economy.

 

Types of Educational Planning

1.  Imperative or Centralized Planning

The planning which is done at the federal level or by the central body like the planning commission of the government is called imperative planning. The targets and resources for the completion of plans are allocated by the federal government. The implementers are the provincial authority.

2.  Indicative Planning or Local Level Planning

This type of planning is done at the local level or at the grassroots level of the society. Local people determine priorities. They prepare projects with the help of experts. Funds are allocated for the completion of local projects by the government. Pakistan has started this type of planning with the help of district Nazims of the concerned areas.

3.  Sect Oral Planning

In this type of planning, projects are prepared by each sector separately. Funds are allocated to the secretary of the department for the implementation of the projects. Here at a time all the departments/Ministries are busy completing the developmental activities. There is a lesser cooperation among the departments. Every department determines its own priorities. The developmental works are scattered all over the country. This type of planning covers all areas of the country. The pace of development is slow in this type of planning.

4.  Integrated Planning

In this type of planning a pilot area is selected for development. All the departments concentrate on the development of that specific area. They prepare projects according to the needs of the area. All the projects have approved funds with are provided at the same time to all the agencies responsible for implementation. In this way, the development of that area is ensured with all the facilities. However, there is a weakness in this type of planning, the needy areas are ignored and their turn comes after a long time