CHAPTER I: The School as an Agent of Social Change

This chapter focuses on the role of the school as an agent of social change. It
explores significant literatures and theories in understanding the significant role of the
school in imparting positive social transformation. The chapter includes activities that
will provide us with good insights and perspectives on the role of the school as an agent
of social change. It allows us to critically reflect on relevant practices and issues of
teachers. The objectives of this chapter are the following:

 discuss how the school can serve as an agent of change;

 discuss how teachers, students, administrators and other personnel could
contribute in affecting positive social change in the society; and
 observe how innovative schools serve as agent of social change.

Introduction
Schools play an important role in the development of individuals and societies.
Schools are vital sources of knowledge and innovations, they are contributors to
economic development, they are agents of social and cultural development, and they
are warehouses of information. Schools also develop the manpower needs of the
society developing the necessary skills, values, and knowledge needed in everyday life
particularly in the industry. Furthermore, schools are national and regional symbols
serving as repository of the people's history and culture. In the nutshell, school is a
dynamic social organization that develops every learner for various social roles. It is
influenced by a system anchored on a philosophy, mission, and vision.

 School as an organization - it has its own system of governance influenced by a

fixed organizational structure or bureaucracy. In basic education, the Department
of Education determines the bureaucratic structure of schools from national,
regional, division, district, and the local school level. At the national level, the
DepEd Secretary acts as the head of the whole bureaucracy supported by
Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries. The Central Office is composed of 4
Bureaus namely (1) Bureau of Curriculum Development, (2) Bureau of Learning
Delivery, (3) Bureau of Learning Resources, and (4) Bureau of Educational
Assessment. The Regional Offices are headed by Regional Directors supported
different education supervisors. The Division Offices are headed by the
Superintendent and also supported by educational supervisors. The District
Offices are headed by District Supervisor and supported by educational
supervisors. Lastly, at the school level, the principal serves as the chief
administrative and academic officer of the school. Master teachers and
classroom teachers support the principal in accomplishing various tasks.

 School as a learning organization - its main function is to help learners to learn

and develop knowledge, skills, and values essential for every individual. Its main
 function is to implement the curriculum prescribed by the Department of
Education. Guided by the different principles and theories of teaching and
learning, the school carries this function by helping to mold the minds and
character of students. Students in school with the help of teachers develop much
knowledge and skills.
 School as a community - it is composed of teachers, administrators, students,
staff, and other stakeholders united in one purpose and guided by common
values and culture. As a community, the school is guided by the following
essential elements:

• Vision – a sense of direction of what the school hopes to accomplish for

itself, for the people, and for the society;

• Values – provides a framework for organizational culture and behavior of

the entire school;

• Leadership – provides administrative and management support for the

day–to–day activities and functions of the schools; and

• Culture – pertains to shared values and behavior of students, teachers,

staff, and administration.

The school as a social organization aims to respond to the different changes and
challenges in the society brought by different social and natural forces. It plays an
important role in shaping the future of the society it belongs. The schools' working
mechanism has a strong effect not only on the delivery of quality education but also on
the development of human resources needed by the society.

School as a Social Organization

Schools are important organizations that prepare young children of their future
roles as productive citizens in the country. The way schools fulfill this function has a
strong effect on the quality of education they provide. There are several theories that try
to explain the nature of the school organizations. The systems theory is best to explain
the nature of school as a social organization. Under the systems theory, it is best to
examine some of the characteristics of schools including structure, culture, climate,
leadership, decision-making, and the relationships among personnel (Bozkus, 2014).

 Structure: As social systems, schools' structures have characteristics of

rational, natural, and open systems. They have hierarchies of authority, goals,
and role expectations similar to bureaucratic organizations. Individual needs
affect employee behavior, organizational goals are not firm, informal
organizations derive from interactions among individuals, and schools (Bozkus,
2014).
 A school is structured in a seamless bureaucracy that includes positions and
offices based on the type of programs and services offered by the school. The
size or the population of the school also determines the structure of the school.

Not only that the school is an integral part of the bigger education system from
district, division, region, and national level. The line of authorities and
responsibilities are clearly defined.

This bureaucratic structure of the school has received much criticism from the
public especially among the teachers and local school administrators. There was
a clamor for empowering teachers and principals in making classroom-based and
school-based decisions. There is a need to strengthen their positions in soliciting
public support for their schools. They need to develop innovative programs that
are truly relevant and responsive to the context of the school. School principals
need more freedom to make decisions concerning their schools, and teachers
need to be empowered to make instructional innovations and decisions
concerning their classes and students.

 Culture and Climate: School culture is preserved and transferred to new

members by the socialization process (Kowalski, 2010). New teachers learn
shared values, beliefs, and norms when they interact and build relationships with
their colleagues. The school culture is influenced by the philosophy and core
values of the school. It is also continuously shaped by the culture of every
individual members of the school. Private schools especially sectarian schools
are famous for their ability to sustain their institutional norms and culture
especially among students.

Norms are influential in shaping students' character and values system.

Oftentimes, the norms or school culture create a sense of place among students.
School has become not only a place for learning but also a home for them. Much
of who they are as a person including their views on various issues are
influenced by the hidden curriculum they got from the school. The institutional
culture is the thread that binds all teachers, students, staff, and alumni. It is their
identity as a school.

Climate on the other hand represents an organization's distinguishing

characteristics, feelings, and behavior that can be presented with a framework
which consists of four elements: (1) physical frame is the physical factors of a
school like equipment, classrooms; (2) social frame is the social factor ; (3)
environment mostly related to social behavior of individuals within a school; and
(4) structural frame represents factors such as hierarchy, authority, role, and
symbolic frame is the parts of culture like believes, norms, values (Kowalskj,
2010).
  Leadership and Decision Making: In social systems of schools an important
aspect of leadership is the quality and systematic effects of functions and
behaviors of principals as leaders (Bozkus,2014).

The Governance of Basic Education Act provided a way to enhance the system
of leadership and decision-making process in the school. Currently, principals are
now the local executives in their schools. They help to develop the vision and
plans for improving the school and for helping students improve their scholastic
performance. Annually, the schools are mandated to submit their annual school
improvement plan (SIP), which serves as the basis for their budget and for
evaluating their performance. Likewise, the teachers are now empowered to
develop innovations that will improve students’ achievement and performance.

 Relationships: Social organizations like schools are stemmed from interaction

among people both within and outside of the organization. Relationships within
school building and with the community are essential elements of socialization
and have a significant impact on many vital processes (Bozkus, 2014).

Social change and its Effect in the Educational System

Social change is a broad term and every society develops and evolves in a
unique way as influenced by various social factors and events. Change is always
happening in every of the society and it is inevitable. The physical features of the
society are always changing as a result of economic developments and cultures also
have changed as a result of various se result of economic developments. Human
relationships and interactions have changed as a result of various social forces and
events. Many can with the influence of technology and advancements in science, we
expect more change to happen in the coming years. The future remains unpredictable
due to these social change forces.
In general, sociologists define social change as changes in the human
interactions and relationships that transform cultural and social transformation. These
changes occur over time and often have profound and long-term effects for the society.
The Financial Institutions 2025 Risk Index identified six megatrends that continues to
shape and influences our society.

 Digitalization and technological advances - Technological advancement is

impacting the finance industry as new challengers are emerging and growing
customer expectations drives significant IT infrastructure investment.

 Demographic and behavioral changes - The changing demographics,

geographical, and behavioral profile of customers are forcing financial Institutions
to deal with divergent customer expectations, and new customer bases and
workforces.

 Global talent and skills race - Talent capable of navigating a rapidly evolving
financial landscape will be required to respond to increasing regulatory
 pressures, a changing approach to risk management and the emergence of new
markets.

 Business Operating Model pressures - Regulation and the increasing cost of

capital is exerting pressure on business operating structures, driving
segmentation, and disintermediation in the financial sector.

 Regulatory changes and complexity - Regulatory pressures arising from the

financial crisis have increased the cost of capital, prompted large-scale
divestment, reshaped attitudes toward risk, and redrawn the boundary between
retail and wholesale banking.

 Changes in investment, capital sources and returns - Non-bank financial

institutions, fintech companies, and new investors are bringing fresh capital into
the sector while banks meet capital requirements, manage stress tests, and
spend on compliance upgrades.
These social changes, among others, demands that all educational institutions at
any level must not only respond to these changes but they must also evolve and be
changed.
1. New ways of teaching and learning must be developed and introduced
2. Instruction must focus on the holistic development of every learners
3. Technology must be utilized to improve access to quality education

4. Curriculum must be progressive and innovative

5. Alternative learning system must be harnessed

6. New literacies and skills must be developed

7. Teachers must be equipped with high level of technological, pedagogical, content

knowledge (TPCK)

8. Classrooms must be equipped with technology

9. New subjects and courses must be developed to respond to the needs of the
society

10. Old disciplines must evolve to embrace new research and developments in the
field

11. Critical thinking, creativity, and innovation must be developed among students

12. Industry-school partnerships must be developed

Social Changes and Challenges Brought by the 4th Industrial
Revolution
The concept of Fourth Industrial Revolution, according to Davis (2016) builds on
the Digital Revolution with cyber-physical systems providing new mechanisms and
allowing technology to be embedded within societies and even the human body. It is
marked by emerging technology breakthroughs in a number of fields including robotics,
artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, quantum computing, biotechnology, internet of
things, 3D printing and autonomous vehicles (Bernard et al. 2016).

Schwab (2016) describes how the 4th Industrial Revolution is fundamentally

different from the previous three industrial revolutions. Accordingly, these new and
emerging technologies have great potential to continue to connect billions more people
to the web, drastically improve the efficiency of business and organizations, and help
regenerate the natural environment through better asset management. We are facing a
world transformed by technology, in which the Internet, cloud computing, and social
media. Create different opportunities and challenges in all social institutions and
particularly for me global education systems. Bernard (2016) posits that the 4th
Industrial Revolution provides various opportunities to improve human communication
and conflict resolution.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution brought significant social transformation that

created a new world economy characterized by:

a. Wider Employment Opportunities

b. Demand for Quality, Competitive and flexible Workers

c. Globalization
d. Millennial Workforce
e. e Mobility
f. Technological Advancement
g. New Behaviors
The 4th Industrial Revolution calls for the educational system to develop
graduates who are equipped with knowledge and new skills and prepared for
responding to the various social challenges that may come. In order to produce qualified
graduates, the curriculum needs a new orientation. The old literacies (reading, writing
and math), have to be strengthened as well as by adding the new and emerging
literacies, to produce qualified human who can thrive in digital era.
 Education should adjust itself to different social challenges and demands. There
are three literation that needs to be developed to prepare graduates for this 4th
Industrial Revolution:
1. Data Literation - the ability to read, to analyze, and to use information in the
digital world.
2. Technology Literation - The ability to understand mechanical (system) work, to
use the application of technology like (Coding. Artificial Intelligence, &
Engineering Principles).
3. Human Literation - Humanities, Communication, and Design. This calls for
development of leadership skills, social competence, collaboration and
teamwork, professionalism, and new sets of values to be developed among
students.
The school or the education system cannot isolate itself from the demands and
needs of the changing society, Schools and the education system should be at the
forefront or these social changes. People should see schools as innovation hubs to
solve human and social issues. Schools should ignite peoples' imagination to be more
creative and innovative in creating a desired future for all the people. With the changes
and challenges of the 4th Industrial Revolution, schools need revisit their academic
programs and focus on what are essentials skills that need to learn for human beings to
become productive and enjoy the fullness of life. The wo Economic Forum in 2016
identified examples of these skills:

 Complex Problem Solving

 Innovation Skills

 Critical Thinking

 Creativity

 People Management

 Collaboration

 Emotional Quotient

 Decision Making

 Negotiation Skills

 Entrepreneurship

 Cognitive Fluency
Change Forces
Sergiovani (2000, pp. 154-155) identified six forces affecting changes in schools:
bureaucratic, personal, market, professional, cultural, and democratic. Each of these
forces is influential in implementing changes in schools:

 Bureaucratic forces are rules, mandates, and other requirements intended to

provide direct supervision, standardized work process, or standardized outcomes
that are used to prescribed change.

 Personal forces are personality, leadership styles, and interpersonal skills of

change agents that could push for changes to happen in school.

 Market forces are competition, incentives, and individual choice that are used to
motivate change.

 Professional forces are standards of expertise, codes of conduct, collegiality, felt

obligations, and other professional norms intended to build professional
community to compel change.

 Cultural forces are shared values, goals, and ideas about pedagogy, relationship,
and politics intended to build covenantal community that is used to compel
change.

 Democratic forces are democratic social contacts and shared commitments to

the common good intended to build a community that is used to compel change.
Due to the change forces, schools needed to build internal commitment to
change and positive social transformation, internal commitment is an essential
contributor to school effectiveness, internal commitment means faculty, administrators,
and staff experience a high degree of ownership and feeling of responsibility on the
changes that they wish to happen. Teachers, students, and staff must see their roles
and responsibilities in the change that will happen. Cooperation, collaboration, and open
communication is essential. Responding to the different change forces requires
empowerment of every member of the school community. It also requires ethical and
moral leadership from school managers and administrators. Furthermore, all the
members of the school must possess innovative behaviors and creativity.

Characteristics of a Good School as an Agent of Social Change

To effectively serve as an agent of social change, schools need to evolve and be
a model of a good social institution. Reviewing the current literatures on the
characteristics of a good school makes us conclude that good schools are generally
described as being learner-centered. Good schools make an effort to serve all types of
students by providing a good physical and socio-emotional environment for all students.
They provide instructional support system to help students to learn effectively and to
develop curricular program to further enrich the knowledge and skills of the students.
They respect the ethnic and linguistic differences among students.
Based on the study of MacBeath, Boyd, Rand, and Bell (1995), there are six
indicators or an effective school that were also affirmed by Sergiovanni (2000):

TABLE 1: Indicators of a Good School from Six Composite Perspectives

Pupil

 Pupils are nice to each other

 Everyone is treated fairly

 There is a friendly atmosphere

 Teachers control the classes but not too strict

 Teachers help you with things you are not good at

Teacher

 Communication is good among all members

 Staff development is good

 The environment is good to work in

 Pupils are happy and well-motivated

 All pupils are helped to achieve what they are capable of

Parent

 There is a welcoming friendly atmosphere

 Staff are caring and communicate well with pupils

 Discipline is good

 Extra time is spent with children who learn less quickly

 Relationships are good between teachers and parents

Management

 Pupils are safe

  All members of the school community work toward clear objectives

 A high quality of information is given to parents and visitors

 Rules are applied evenly and fairly

 All pupils are helped to achieve what they are capable of

Support Staff

 Resources are good and up to date

 Classrooms are clean, warm, and comfortable

 Support staff are given credit for their competence and contribution

 The environment is friendly and welcoming

 Staff development involves all staff

Board Member, Trustee

 Excellent reputation with the local community

 Strong leadership from senior management

 A happy and welcoming environment

 Pupils being helped to reach their individual potential

 A safe place for pupils

As an agent of social change, a school must set an example of a good social

institution. Schools need to model a dynamic social organization characterized by the
following:

 The school climate must be professional and friendly to all;

 There must be a positive relationship among students, faculty, staff,

administrators, and stakeholders,

 The classroom atmosphere must be mentally and emotionally engaging for

learning;

 There is enough and adequate support for learning:

 The teachers and other staff received support for professional and personal
growth;
  The school must be efficient in managing its resources;

 There must be an efficient communication system among teachers, students,

administrators, staff, parents, and other stakeholders;

 The school has a system to recognize good works and other achievements,

 There must be a strong school and home relationship, and

 All members of the school community must be treated with respect

The school as an agent of positive social change and transformation must elicit
support and cooperation from all its constituents and stakeholders. The embers of the
school community believe and support its vision and mission. It encourages
collaboration rather than competition. It disassociates itself from unhealthy academic
politics and practices that destroy unity and good relationship among the faculty and
staff.

Schools are guided by a clear vision and passion to pursue a noble mission.
Schools everywhere are not only centers of learning and knowledge production. They
are the guardians of peoples' freedom and democratic life. They are shrines of noble
ideas and ethical principles. They are the minds and conscience of the people in the
field of education.

Responding to the Needs of the Country and Local Communities

In the Philippines, the genesis of the community schools of the American period
pointed the seed of the development of a good-school community partnership and the
development of a functionally citizenry. Community school were expected to contribute
to economic and cultural development of the people and the communities where they
served. They are shrines of knowledge and wisdom when there are only few basic
education schools in the country. They are concrete reflections of state’s commitment to
ensure equity and access to quality education. Many of these community schools have
evolved into community colleges and they became the pioneer units of the many state
colleges and universities in the country now.

Trade and agricultural schools are also good models of how a school can
influence positive social changes. These schools aim to contribute to the economic
development of the people and the community. Over the years, these schools have
produced professionals and scientist who are helpful in the development of agriculture
and food production in the country. For example, we have the world renowned
University of the Philippines Los Baños, which is famous in the field of agriculture,
forestry, and any other professional fields in the Philippines and in the Asia pacific
region. Some outstanding agriculture schools are Central Luzon State University,
Central Mindanao University, Mariano Marcos State University, Eastern Visayas State
University and many others agricultural Universities.

The University of the Philippines, Manila also made an outstanding contribution

in developing local doctors who are serving in local communities in the country. Its
satellite campuses in Leyte, Davao, and Aurora are excellent models on how schools
can help serve the people.

Silliman University, a private protestant school established during the time of the
Americans in Dumaguete City is a good example of how a school can influence the
transformation of the society. Silliman did not only produce outstanding leaders and
professionals in various disciplines and fields in the country. It has immensely
influenced the economic and cultural development of Dumaguete City and the whole
island of Negros. Currently, Silliman has a strong research in marine science that
focuses on the conservation of our country’s marine resources.

Other schools have done noble contributions to nation building. The following are
just a few examples:

a. The UP Baguio research on the indigenous people’s culture in the

cordillera region.
b. Ateneo De Manila University is also known for its contributions in helping
the poor people in various parts of the country and it has collaborations
with other agencies and institutions like Gawad Kalinga, in its mission to
end poverty and serve the poor.
c. Merriam College in partnership in developing children’s literacy in poor
communities.
d. St. Scholastica’s College program for empowering women and in
promoting gender equity.
e. The UP College of law, Law Center for providing free legal assistance for
poor people.
f. The Central Visayas Institute of Technology for developing science literacy
by building a good science and mathematics program in a small town of
Jagna in the province of Bohol.
g. Mindanao State University for advancing the education of Muslims and
indigenous group in Mindanao.
h. Mary Johnston college of Nursing for serving the health needs of poor
families in Tondo, Manila.
i. TESDA schools all over the country, are helping to develop vocational and
technical skills of millions of students.

There are also a good number of mission schools established by various catholic
and protestant churches that are good models. The Seventh Day Adventist Church in
the Philippines has pioneered multigrade classes in different local communities in the
Philippines. These schools have contributed a lot in providing access to quality
education in the country.
All schools under the K-12 Education Program are expected to function as
agents of social change and transformation. They are expected to contribute to nation
building developing holistically developed and functionally literate learners characterized
by:

 A healthy mind and body;

 Solid moral and spiritual groundings;

 Essential knowledge and skills to continuously develop himself/herself to the

fullest;

 Engagement in critical and creative problem solving:

 Contribution to the development of a progressive and humane society; and

 Appreciation of the beauty of the world and cares for the environment for a
sustainable future.

Responding to the Needs of a Culturally Diverse Global Community

We are witness to the fact that various countries in the world are becoming more
and more interconnected due to the growing influence of politics, technology, economic
cooperation, educational collaborations, and tourism activities. Shim (2011) pointed out
that from a global perspective, people now live in the world wherein entanglement is an
inherent condition of human existence; constant border crossing among cultural and
language boundaries using technology becomes inevitable. As a result, people live in
countries, which are becoming more ethnically, racially, culturally, and linguistically
diverse every year (Shim, 2011). Thus, the growing case of immigration in various
countries also has made the society multicultural.
In the study of Ball (2000), the enormous complexities of today's world require a
new vision for schooling that responds to the needs of the global and multicultural
society in which we live. There is a need to prepare students who possess high level of
knowledge and skills that include high level of cultural literacy. To be culturally literate
according to Hirsch (1987) is to possess the basic information extending over the major
domains of human activity from arts, sports, and science, needed to thrive in the
modern world.
Certain provisions in the school curriculum should allow students to immerse to
different cultures. The thrust of the school curriculum should be focused on the
development of learners who appreciate various cultures and ideas among different
countries (Pawilen et al., 2009).
 Schools have great roles in addressing issues and demands of cultural diversity.
Our classrooms too are becoming more complex and diverse (Shim, 2011). Teachers
therefore, lay a significant role in helping the students to become cosmopolitan
members of the society. It is therefore essential to study the preparation of teachers
who will accomplish this task, Merryfield (2000) also noted that despite the increasing
demands for teacher to teach for equity, diversity and the global interconnectedness,
college of education are not producing teachers who are internationally adept. Brodin
(2010) also observed that the need for educating all citizens and providing them with
information about other cultures and countries has become imperative.
In the same note, Tilghman (2007) emphasized that instilling a global perspective
among students; exposing them to the histories, languages, religious traditions, and
cultures of countries other than their own; and building academic bridges between
schools and colleges and their respective faculties around the world is today a scholarly
which is a global concern among educators and governments, is the key and
addressing various needs, challenges and problems posed by cultural diversity.
Diakno (2010) observe that the internationalization has opened the door for many
countries to improve their educational systems, especially in higher education.
Specifically, internationalization in education ranges from various activities such as
faculty and students exchange programs, development to offshore campuses or satellite
campuses, establishment of joint research projects and university linkages among
others. Part of these programs and projects mentioned is the development and
promotion of cultural understanding and respect to the diversity.

Roles of Administrators, Teachers, and Students in Promoting

Schools as Agents of Social changes and Transformation
Leadership and collaboration are essential elements to ensuring success in all
education endeavors. The kind of leadership that school administrators provides could
inspire teachers, staffs, and other school personnel to pursue important education goals
which could be translated in the successful achievements of the students in their
studies. When we speak a leadership, we mean effective leadership that pushes more
innovations in a creative organizational environment. And when we talk of collaboration,
it should be meaningful and constructive that allows creativity, critical thinking, problem
solving, and decision-making. Thus, it is important to understand what drives effective
leadership and meaningful collaboration in schools.
What do effective leaders do? Fullan (2001) identified several strategies that
leaders in school could do to be effective in complex times:
1. Educational leaders must be guided by moral pursue. Moral purpose is about
making a positive difference in the lives of students and to striving to improve the
quality of working relationship in the school.
2. It is essential for leaders to understand the change process. Any form of change
in school or in the whole education system is not easy. All stakeholders must
 understand the change that is going to happen and be guided in the process. It is
essential to understand that opposition, discontentment, discouragement,
negative feedbacks, is natural when undergoing some changes. An effective
leader is a coach, a mentor, and a teacher in the change process.
3. It is essential to build relationships. If relationships are improved things will surely
get better. Thus, leader must be consummate relationship builder within the
school, the teachers, the staff, and students, and between the schools and with
all stakeholders. Effective leaders constantly foster purposeful interaction and
communication.
4. Leaders must commit to knowledge creation and sharing. School leaders should
commit themselves constantly in generating and increasing knowledge inside
and outside the school organization. They also share vital information to all
teachers, staff and stakeholders.
5. Effective leaders seek coherence in everything they do. This is difficult
considering the issues, problems, and demands that schools and the total
education system are facing. However, ensuring coherence is important
constantly following logic rationale thinking in making decisions, being guided by
the school values and philosophy, and being scientific and systematic in
conducting business in school.
There are other strategies that administrators, teachers, and other personnel can do
to ensure success of the school.
1. Strong principal leadership - the principal plays a vital role in the school. the
principal ensures that all educational goals, targets, and plans set by the school
and by the department of education should be implemented effectively.
2. Setting high expectations for student's achievement - the business of the school
is to ensure that all students should be successful in their students; ensuring that
all curriculum competencies should be mastered by the students and this is
measured by the assessment of their learning performance.
3. Empowerment and providing positive support to teachers - teachers need to be
empowered in making decisions for their classes and in the subjects they teach.
trust and support for teachers are important morale boasters that drive teachers
to do more innovations in their classes.
4. Creating a clear vision and mission - any administrator should help the school
community to create a clear vision and a great sense of mission. this sets the
foundation of good leadership--a vision and mission that is shared by all
members of the school community.
5. Monitoring students' progress and teachers' performance - effective school
leaders regularly monitor students' progress and evaluate teachers' performance.
This means providing instructional leadership is important.
 6. Establishing a positive school climate - ensuring transparency, integrity, and
honesty in all school transactions, establishing clear standards to follow, could do
this exercising fairness, and supporting professional growth of teachers and
staffs.
7. Establishing linkages and collaborations with parents, community, and all
stakeholders - there is an old African proverb that says '' it takes a village to
educate a child'' which simply means that ensuring support and participation of
all stakeholders in every school activities and encouraging parents to have active
role in the education of their children are essential.

Summary
The role of the school as an agent of social change is important. Schools mold
the minds and character of the students. Some important principles in this chapter are
the following:

 A school is not just a place for learning. It is a community of people committed to

develop human potentials with a goal of attaining positive social transformation.

 The school as a community is characterized by formal and informal systems.

 Schools need to respond to various challenges and social changes.

 Every member of the school community plays an essential role in attaining the
goals of the school.

 Commitment to academic excellence coupled with deep devotion to contribute to

the development of the community is essential for schools.

 Operational excellence and organizational excellence are essential in attaining

the goals of schools.

 Schools need to be relevant and responsive to the needs of the society.

 The school curriculum and all educational programs need to evolve with the
different changes and challenges happening in the society.

 Effective principal leadership is needed.

 Teacher leadership is essential in schools.

 Empowerment of administrators and teachers is important in developing

innovations.

 Innovative behavior and creativity are essential in fulfilling the role of schools as
agents of social changes and transformation.
  The school culture must be positive.

 A school's bureaucratic structure must be rationalized to serve the interest of the

whole school.
This chapter ends with a positive note that schools as agents of social change
will help us all to create the future that we desire for the generations to come after us.