The Plan for Planning

The plan for planning is very useful in educational management. Ernesto A. Franco et. al.
categorize the useful structural framework into 1, 5 or 20-year planning. The authors further
explain it according to time-horizon and purpose. There is the Long-term or Perspective Plan of
10 to 20 years or even 25 years; Medium-term plan of 4 to 7 years; and the Short-term plans of
1 to 3 years are also possible. But the Single-purpose Planning is an administrative operation,
like the piloting of the K to 12 Program in Luzon.

Another approach to educational planning is Systems Approach that Franco emphasizes.

Franco notes that difference could come by way of four characteristics, namely: (1) school
philosophy or ideology; (2) target-students; (3) programs or courses of study; (4) distinctive
competence; (5) geographical coverage; and (6) gender coverage.

In System Planning, Edilberto Dagot notes that this conversion process means that inputs are
converted or processed through a series of educational strategies, tools, and techniques – such
as (a) Students; (b) Teachers; (c) Funds; (d) Physical Resources; and (e) Library. For me, funds
are very important to improve physical facilities including the library. With enough funds
providing teachers for research, technological innovation and educational change, and enough
funds can help the school and teachers for suitable training of teachers to cater the needs of the
people and the state.

System conversion means the use of education processes or conversion techniques to optimize
the most from the inputs. The processes include instruction, research, community or extension
services, counseling and consultancy, governance and management systems. Based on my
experience, to improve classroom instructions, the school needs enough budget for that, like the
use of the internet, computers, projectors, interactive electronic board. And teachers should
have their websites to publish their topics online using webpages and or online slides so that
students can download their topics of the day. Teachers’ assessment shall be made online
using the online quizzes. With regards to research, the public and private school teachers shall
conduct action research. The research shall involve the respondents in solving the problems.
The research methodology shall be rigidly chosen for the good of the school, university or any
learning institution. On the other hand, teachers shall engage in community involvement to
develop their leadership and learn to manage their time and gain experiences outside the
school. In guidance and counseling of students in school, all teachers can also perform their
duties as guidance counselors. They should spend two to four times a week talking to their
students’ problems in life. And for me, in a learning institution, committed policy makers are
needed. Then, the proper implementation of policies shall be observed.

Finally, systems thinking means the use of inputs through processes that ensure outputs or
results. These include graduates, research outputs, community services, societal critiquing.
Based on my analysis, I think that educational planners might only think of what would be the
best products or graduates they may produce. They should also go out from school for research
of what would be the possible jobs the country or the world needs. The government should have
a department to only regulate graduates from different universities. They shall involve
universities and colleges in their inputs of research - to arrive at realistic and globally
competitive results and to solve the increasing career-misguided students. Likewise, in every
department or agency of the government or in any private institution, there must be funding of
action research to solve problems in unemployment, ignorance, disease, water, electricity,
illegal drugs, criminality, corruption etc. They also improve strategies and new methods of doing
action research. Another input the school administrator and teachers can extend their potentials
to the community is the school’s community involvement. The school shall participate in different
community activities. Any teacher can organize an association of sectoral groups to be
registered by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). In fact, I organized the
Dalaguete United Farmers and Fishermen Association (DUFAFA) which is registered by DOLE
on June 20, 2016. I've prepared the required documents since the very start up to the present. I
plan that this association can cater our K to 12 graduates who are specializing in Agriculture
and Horticulture on their practicum before they shall be assessed by TESDA National
Assessors for them to obtain a National Certificate (NCII). The last input of Ernesto Franco is
societal critiquing. He notes this to be one of the weakest areas, except for a number of
institutions like UP, Ateneo, CRC, De La Salle and occasionally UST. Most schools are mum
and silent on national and regional issues – probably, he estimates, because they do not have
qualified faculty to do societal analysis and solutions, and are not encouraged anyway by the
school owners/founders and managers to engage in such work by way of proper rewards and
remuneration. Well, Franco is right. He further states lacking self-confidence, motivation, and
support are most university professors – despite their high degrees and disciplined thinking that
they fail in this vital university output. I would add something in societal critiquing that the issue
shall be discussed properly by avoiding biases. Whatever discussions must be simple with legal
support or outputs shall have statistical basis. In some other instances, today, societal critiquing
is done in Facebook or Twitter or Blogs that sometimes discussions of issues are not supported
by rules, guidelines, statistical analysis, and legal basis.

In educational management and planning, Franco’s Model on strategic planning has been the
subject of countless variations in many educational planning exercises in schools, universities,
educational agencies and foundations, both public and private.

Florencio Arica, Jr. summarizes the key points of this Model as follows: (1) the analysis of the
external environment in which the institution operates; (2) the clarity of vision, values,
formulation of mission statement, and development of culture and priorities; (3) the analysis of
internal organization, the institution itself, its strengths and weaknesses; (4) the weighing of
these analyses and outputs against each other and the making of strategic decisions and action
plans.

If I shall be a part of the planning team, the right area of the university expansion should be the
top priority and should consider it away from threats of competitive schools.The university vision
for 20 years should be the need of the country and the world when it comes to job placements,
economic boom and progress. The institution should do more on its strengths and regain its
weaknesses. Encourage human resources for research and improve programs, services and
projects.The school or university should monitor and evaluate everything in the institution and
make sure the targeted outputs are accomplished.

In the plan for planning in a university or school, I agree with the outline of Sin Wong Kooi of
UNESCO that outlines some specifics of inputs, process, and outputs.

When it comes to pupils or students, the educational planners shall consider the distance of
home from school, the mode of transportation, home conditions, parental occupation, and total
number of children.

Teachers should be encouraged to continue graduate school studies, and prioritize the
experienced teachers in the ranking and hiring of teachers.

Facilities shall be improved. Purchase the nearest parcels of land. Rebuild the school buildings
when those reach 50 years.

University organization shall be the basis for the teachers’ workloads in accordance with the
current curriculum of K to 12.

Extra school refers to location (rural/urban); presence of adverse surroundings. A good situation
for this is the public or private school that offers TLE-Agriculture or Horticulture that lacks
enough area for such specialization. And that the community does not have an agri-farm for the
K to 12 students to even practice their skills.

Sin Wong Kooi of UNESCO also outlines Throughouts or Processes of those Inputs stated
above, like pupils, teachers, facilities, finance, organization and extra school. In this process, the
educational planners or managers shall focus on pupils’ interests and aspirations, teachers’
techniques, pupils’ activities encouraged by teachers, the usage of special rooms and library,
the regularity of staff salary, expenditures of electricity and water, the number of test paper per
year, amount of homework assigned per term, action research on health, academic and facility
problems, and community programs. One example for this is my thesis entitled “Enhanced
eClassroom Model Junior High School”.

I also believe in Kooi's Outputs of these processes. The students shall achieve above the
national passing standard when it comes to the National Achievement Test and other public
examinations. The school may have the decreasing drop-out rates, may have the decreasing
repetition rates and may have the unique program concerning absenteeism.

Kooi’s Inputs-Process-Outputs Model may have specified cognitive, affective, social and
economic objectives. This model’s set of objectives can also be effective in the present. I would
also emphasize that objectives in skills competencies shall also be emphasized because skilled
human resources are in demand in the world.

The standard planning cycle, according to UNESCO, would be in the following bird’s eye view, a
series of six stages, namely: 1) Pre-planning, 2) Planning, 3) Plan Formulation, 3) Plan
Elaboration, 4) Plan Implementation, 5) Evaluation, Revision and Replanning.

I believe that if there is a pre-planning of education in Asian regions, the region would eventually
and gradually solve the unemployment rate in Asia. Great Asian businessmen should lead in the
pre-planning of education supported by the educational planners, economic researchers and
scientists.

Now in the planning stage, every Asian country shall also apply the six principal steps in
planning: 1) Diagnosis, 2) Formulation of Policy, 3) Costing of Future Needs, 4) Establishment
of Priorities and Target-Setting, 5) Feasibility Testing.

Plan Formulation Stage has the purpose of planning in twofold: 1) to present a set of decisions
to the appropriate national authorities for approval; and 2) to provide a blue-print for action by
the various agencies responsible for implementing those decisions. An example of this is the
budget allocations of the projects prepared by the rightful authority which is subject for
evaluation, revision and replanning of the implementing authority. In evaluation it highlights
weaknesses in the plan (e.g. unrealistic targets, inadequate financial provisions, improper
phasing) and throws up matters for revision of the plan for the balance of the plan period.
Evaluation takes the place of Diagnosis of the Planning Stage in providing the basis for
replanning.

For me, a succession of stages in a planning cycle is very crucial in preparing the educational
plan. The cycle goes in this way, namely: 1) Analysis and appraisal of the present educational
situation based on quantitative and qualitative data, 2) Educational target setting at various
levels, 3) Construction of unit costs per pupil per level and type of education, 4) Costing and
feasibility testing of the educational plan, consideration of alternatives, 5) Decision, plan
approval and implementation, 6) Monitoring and evaluation. Adjusting, revision and redesigning
the plan. All of these are the necessary cycle of stages to have exogenous data: future
demographic trends, economic and social trends, national goals and priorities, resources for
education.

I appreciated Ernesto Franco who had his meetings of ministers of education of various
countries under the auspices of UNESCO and ESCAP in undertaking planning projects,
conducting workshops, and delivering papers on various aspects of educational planning and
project management in which the organizations have indicated these issues as follows: a)
Planning is an established feature of educational development in the region. b) Educational
planning is frequently associated with national social and economic development plans. c)
Social demands and expectations of educational systems are frequently different from national
manpower development needs. d) Several recurring themes have been: 1) the decentralization
of educational planning and administration; 2) greater community and parental participation; 3)
making the best use of limited resources; 4) the need for an improved flow of information for
more effective management. E) Some problem areas are: 1) the need for more appropriate
indicators and standards by which the development of educational systems can be judged, 2)
the need to make use of modern technologies and develop improved techniques for planning
and administration; 3) training and retraining of planners and administrators.

In the Philippines, K to 12 educational programs can precisely solve the letter C issue that
states Social demands and expectations of educational systems are frequently different from
national manpower development needs. We have now TESDA incorporating DepEd to produce
NC1 to NC4 graduates with globally competitive skills. Now, what implementing agency of the
government shall regulate the number of graduates having the National Certificates in their
specialized skills? What particular specialization is in demand in the Philippines and abroad?

Well, I am only sharing my own analysis of what has been implemented by the government. And
I am only asking somebody who has an ear on my concern in relation to the implementation of
what had been planned for years in the K to 12 program. It might be that I don’t have the exact
knowledge in the forecasting of producing and regulating the K to 12 NC holders. Anyway, one
factor for unemployment is an individual. However, it matters to me, if there are more than
hundreds of NC 1 or 2 Agriculture graduates who are not precisely working in the farm because
they don’t have the parcel of land or they are not yet employed because the country needs more
agricultural export processing industries. The rightful people in authority are well-versed in all of
these when it comes to planning, especially the operational planning process in the Philippines.
Why do I cite agriculture? It is because I believe that the Philippines is an agricultural land and
that farm products can sustain economic growth in the country.

Prepared by:

George P. Lumayag
SST3, TM Level 1
www.georgelumayag.weebly.com
[email protected]