Teachers need to build strong relationships with school stakeholders

By BusinessMirror - July 19, 20185246

AS teachers, our primary goal for our students is to promote learning, inspire them to bring out
their best and help them become productive members of the community.

Some teachers are more popular than others among students. These teachers become popular
by building good relationships with their students, and by treating them with respect. However,
this ideal situation would not be possible without the help and support of all school stakeholders.

Stakeholders are individuals or groups who have an interest or concern for the school. They
include parents, school administrators, board members, local government officials, alumni and
socio-civic groups who contribute to the development of the school community.

Thus, a healthy relationship between the teachers and stakeholders is important, as this will
enable everybody to harmoniously work together, which will have a positive impact on the
students.

Parents desire a successful educational system for their children; while the students themselves
want to receive good education. It’s easy to imagine the influence the education system has on
government officials, like city councilors and district representatives, as voters also base their
decision on the way public officials show their support to the school system.

In fact, the community as a whole is the biggest stakeholder in its education system. This is
because local schools educate future employees, business owners and community leaders. A
solid education program builds a stronger community by preparing students to be successful
community members.

Since everyone in a community is a stakeholder in the local education system, every

stakeholder plays a different, significant role in supporting the education system.

For example, a stakeholder’s input and relationship with other stakeholders are important in the
planning, implementation and evaluation of, say, health promotion and education programs in
schools. Their personal perceptions and understanding can help motivate children in the school
environment.

Parents, on the other hand, can support and influence the adoption and implementation of a
solid school curriculum. In addition, the parents can help monitor and evaluate the
implementation of the curriculum by keeping abreast with the performance of their children,
particularly by monitoring their homework activities.

Furthermore, the parents can help teachers by monitoring the behavior and social development
of their children at home, especially for children with special education needs.
As teachers, we know we are dealing with fragile beings. Adolescence, for example, brings
insecurities. Individuals at this age are pulling away from adults. Being accepted by their peers
is the key to develop their self-esteem. When children feel good about themselves, it’s much
easier to motivate them to become academically proficient.

To fulfill our goals of developing successful students, teachers must work together with school
stakeholders in planning and building a school community where children thrive as they
enhance their learning capabilities.

How Important Are Stakeholders In Education System

By Shahram Warsi
Curriculum development requires the input of different stakeholders such as parents, teachers,
school heads, administration, and school boards.

Stakeholder typically refers to one who is associated with the welfare and success of a school
and its students. They may also be collective entities, such as local businesses, organizations,
committees, media outletsmore.

Franchisors should understand the importance of stakeholders as they can take leadership
responsibilities, or lend voice to ideas, opinions, and perspectives. They should understand that
the role of every stakeholder is crucial for the development of an education empire.

School administrators

School administrators, who monitor the implementation of the curriculum, play a vital role in
structuring and developing the school and students. Furthermore, they are responsible for the
purchasing of learning materials which are essential for curriculum implementation. They are
usually informed by teachers, students, and the community about the success of their
curriculum. They can also employ the services of professional for evaluating the performance of
the curriculum.

Parents

Parents influence the implementation of the curriculum by playing a vital role in monitoring the
lessons taught at schools, filling the gap between their children and the school administration by
providing various resources which are not available in school. Teachers often take help of
parents for monitoring the social and behavioral development of a child, especially for special
educational needs.

Professionals
Psychologists and social workers are known for their contribution towards special schools and
their children. These stakeholders provide useful options for dealing with students of foreign
origin or those with disabilities. Often acting as school board members, community members are
usually seen contributing to the various resources which are not found at school premises.

Government and the professional regulation commission are other stakeholders providing a
license to graduates of different universities and colleges

Roles of the board of directors

The roles of the board of directors include :-

Establish vision, mission and values

Determine the company's vision and mission to guide and set the pace for its current operations
and future development.
Determine the values to be promoted throughout the company.
Determine and review company goals.
Determine company policies
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mission and values statements.

Set strategy and structure

Review and evaluate present and future opportunities, threats and risks in the external
environment and current and future strengths, weaknesses and risks relating to the company.
Determine strategic options, select those to be pursued, and decide the means to implement
and support them.
Determine the business strategies and plans that underpin the corporate strategy.
Ensure that the company's organisational structure and capability are appropriate for
implementing the chosen strategies.
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PEST and SWOT analyses

Determining strategic options
Strategies and plans
Delegate to management
Delegate authority to management, and monitor and evaluate the implementation of policies,
strategies and business plans.
Determine monitoring criteria to be used by the board.
Ensure that internal controls are effective.
Communicate with senior management.
Brefi Group's free e-course includes a module on delegation to management. You could
subscribe to the e-course, or access the module here.
Exercise accountability to shareholders and be responsible to relevant stakeholders
Ensure that communications both to and from shareholders and relevant stakeholders are
effective.
Understand and take into account the interests of shareholders and relevant stakeholders.
Monitor relations with shareholders and relevant stakeholders by gathering and evaluation of
appropriate information.
Promote the goodwill and support of shareholders and relevant stakeholders.
Find out more about corporate governance.

Responsibilities of directors
Directors look after the affairs of the company, and are in a position of trust. They might abuse
their position in order to profit at the expense of their company, and, therefore, at the expense of
the shareholders of the company.

Consequently, the law imposes a number of duties, burdens and responsibilities upon directors,
to prevent abuse. Much of company law can be seen as a balance between allowing directors to
manage the company's business so as to make a profit, and preventing them from abusing this
freedom.

Directors are responsible for ensuring that proper books of account are kept.

In some circumstances, a director can be required to help pay the debts of his company, even
though it is a separate legal person. For example, directors of a company who try to 'trade out of
difficulty' and fail may be found guilty of 'wrongful trading' and can be made personally liable.
Directors are particularly vulnerable if they have acted in a way which benefits themselves.

The directors must always exercise their powers for a 'proper purpose' – that is, in furtherance
of the reason for which they were given those powers by the shareholders.
Directors must act in good faith in what they honestly believe to be the best interests of the
company, and not for any collateral purpose. This means that, particularly in the event of a
conflict of interest between the company's interests and their own, the directors must always
favour the company.
Directors must act with due skill and care.
Directors must consider the interests of employees of the company.
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Calling a directors' meeting

A director, or the secretary at the request of a director, may call a directors' meeting. A secretary
may not call a meeting unless requested to do so by a director or the directors. Each director
must be given reasonable notice of the meeting, stating its date, time and place. Commonly,
seven days is given but what is 'reasonable' depends in the last resort on the circumstances
Non-executive directors
Legally speaking, there is no distinction between an executive and non-executive director. Yet
there is inescapably a sense that the non-executive's role can be seen as balancing that of the
executive director, so as to ensure the board as a whole functions effectively. Where the
executive director has an intimate knowledge of the company, the non-executive director may
be expected to have a wider perspective of the world at large.

The chairman of the board

The articles usually provide for the election of a chairman of the board. They empower the
directors to appoint one of their own number as chairman and to determine the period for which
he is to hold office. If no chairman is elected, or the elected chairman is not present within five
minutes of the time fixed for the meeting or is unwilling to preside, those directors in attendance
may usually elect one of their number as chairman of the meeting.

The chairman will usually have a second or casting vote in the case of equality of votes. Unless
the articles confer such a vote upon him, however, a chairman has no casting vote merely by
virtue of his office.

Since the chairman's position is of great importance, it is vital that his election is clearly in
accordance with any special procedure laid down by the articles and that it is unambiguously
minuted; this is especially important to avoid disputes as to his period in office. Usually there is
no special procedure for resignation. As for removal, articles usually empower the board to
remove the chairman from office at any time. Proper and clear minutes are important in order to
avoid disputes.

Role of the chairman

The chairman's role includes managing the board's business and acting as its facilitator and
guide. This can include:

Determining board composition and organisation;

Clarifying board and management responsibilities;
Planning and managing board and board committee meetings;
Developing the effectiveness of the board.
Find out more about director development and training.

Shadow directors
In many circumstances, the law applies not only to a director, but to a 'shadow director'. A
shadow director is a person in accordance with whose directions or instructions the directors of
a company are accustomed to act. Under this definition, it is possible that a director, or the
whole board, of a holding company, and the holding company itself, could be treated as a
shadow director of a subsidiary.
Professional advisers giving advice in their professional capacity are specifically excluded from
the definition of a shadow director in the companies legislation

Roles and Responsibilities of Stakeholders

Ministry of Education (MoE): School Health, Nutrition and HIV&AIDS Coordination Unit
(SHN/HIV)

Give administrative support to the MoE.

Develop SHN/HIV strategies.
Communicate SHN/HIV policy and strategic plan.
Advise the Ministry of Education about SHN/HIV.
Develop partnerships with key stakeholders.
Promote advocacy concerning SHN national and regionally.
Co-ordinate training in SHN/HIV at the national and regional levels.
Assist with implementing SHN/HIV activities at regional levels.
Regional Coordination and Accountability

A. Education Departments:

identify Regional Programme Coordinators (RPC) to assist in strategic planning and regional
implementation.
B. Regional Programme Coordinators (RPC)

Ensure that the Policy and Strategic Plan are reflected in the relevant work plans.
Coordinate the Education Department's implementation of the Strategic Plan.
Communicate the Policy and Plan to education sector employees and other education
stakeholders regionally.
Provide the SHN/HIV Unit with data concerning SHN/HIV activities.
Submit annual activity monitoring reports to relevant Heads of the Departments.
The Ministry of Health (MoH)

Act as the main partner of the MoE in all SHN/HIV activities.

Agree on a Memorandum of Understanding with the MoE.
Give technical support to the MoE in relation to for SHN/HIV.
Function as implementing agency for some SHN/HIV activities
Development Partners
Assist with SHN/HIV strategic plan and activities implementation.
Contribute funding and technical support.
(NGOs, CBOs and FBOs)

Help develop SHN/HIV Strategic Plan and implement activities.

Implement activities supportive of strategic plan, policies, and guidelines.
Follow procedures for SHN/HIV activities of NGOs, CBOs and FBOs in schools.
Members of the Educational Institutions

A. Ministry staff:

ensure policy provisions are applied at the work place.

B. Boards of Educational Institutions:

provide oversight of implementation.

Administrators/management:

Advise the Board of policy implications.

Develop institutional SHN/HIV Plan and Strategies.
Ensure that the Policy is reflected in School Improvement Plans.
Agree on appointment of an SHN/HIV Focal Point or Committee.
Ensure safe and sanitary work and study environments.
Integrate strategies and mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation.
Provide data to regional and national SHN/HIV coordinators.
D. Teachers:

Adhere to the Policy and support its implementation.

E. Representatives of employees' and student organizations:

Encourage the implementation of the SHN/HIV Policy and programme.

F. Parent-Teacher Associations:

Work with education institutions, school boards and the wider community
Mobilise materials, funding, and technical support from stakeholders