School administrators like the director/ proprietor, head teacher, Dean of Students, etcetera, aren’t just a bunch of well-to-do individuals that face no single challenge. In fact, they usually get more stressed than the teachers under them.
This is because;
- The fate of the school lies in their hands
- They are the ones to blame in case anything goes wrong
- Everyone’s safety is their concern
- If the school happens to go down, they go all the way with it, unlike ordinary teachers that will look for jobs elsewhere
In this article, we discuss some of the instances where school administrators will feel challenged and shaken beyond what they can imagine. These include;
1. Chaos
Order is the only thing that literally maintains a school in a smooth state of motion. Therefore, school leaders take various organizational strategies to make sure that they maintain the state of peace in school.
Chaos comes in form of strikes, demonstration, brawls, aggravated bullying among others, and its effects include;
- Destabilization of the usual flow of affairs in school
- Physical harm to either students or teachers
- Closure of the school
- Bad impression on the school.
2. Shortage of funds
Shortage of funds doesn’t discriminate between government-aided and private schools. Money is important to ensure that everything goes smoothly at school. However, lack of funds can cause problems like;
- Dilapidated buildings going without renovation
- Failure to afford basic necessities of the school
- Inability to pay staff
- Consequent closure of the school
- Failure to cover losses
Lack of enough funding is one kind of blow that can lead to the final failure of any business, schools inclusive.
3. Understaffing
Having low staff is one of the hardest challenges to endure if you’re a school administrator. This is because it’s really hard to get good teachers that you can hire. Understaffing leads to things like;
- Overworking the existing staff, and that has its own bad effects
- Stress
- Students become harder to manage
- Deteriorates the performance of students
It’s hard to make it out of this problem, and that’s why some administrators panic and end up hiring unqualified or inexperienced teachers to fill the gap.
4. Infrastructural issues
Due to lack of enough funds, some schools start out with infrastructural limitations which include;
- Lack of enough space (small premises)
- Few and/or small classrooms
- Weak buildings that can’t stand harsh seasonal changes
- Old and dilapidated buildings
A school with poor infrastructure is a ticking time bomb, and parents know this too. Therefore, it becomes hard for administrators to attract new students at school – let alone maintain the ones they have.
5. Poor teacher-administration relationship
A bad relationship between school administrators and their staff is also a huge challenge and threat to the stable flow of things. This is because of the following reasons;
- Teachers develop a bad attitude towards teaching
- It leads to reckless actions that could cost students their grades
- Administrators start to view teachers as their rivals
Even if they might not be that much of friends, administrators and their teachers don’t have to be rivals.
6. Shortage of equipment
Equipment can mean the difference between good and bad performance. To have a proper learning environment, a school should have things like;
- Adequate furniture like desks, tables etc
- Chalkboards
- Teaching aids
- Sanitation equipment like brooms, brushes, etc
Without enough equipment, every scholarly activity is stifled, and this can lead to the downfall of the school if nothing is done in time to ease the situation.
7. Poor teaching methods
Teaching methods are very important as far as the success of every student is concerned. Teaching methods affect everything including;
- The rate at which students grasp what they’re taught
- Amount of information given by teachers
- The way students interpret questions
- Their attitude towards studying
Without the use of appropriate teaching methods, students stand a high chance of failure, and this problem is for the students to solve.
8. Poor water supply
Water supply is an essential thing for the smooth sail of all school affairs. This might seem pretty obvious, but below are the uses of water in school;
- Hygiene
- Preparation of food
- Students and teachers drink water
- School sanitation
Without adequate water supply, the school spends so much money and time trying to acquire water from outside the school on a regular basis.
9. Teacher absenteeism
When teachers develop a habit of missing classes whenever they feel like it, the school’s future remains uncertain. This is because;
- Students aren’t taught enough
- Teachers aren’t available when students need them for consultation
- Leads to general academic decline of students
In addition to that, it is necessary for teachers to remain available in school in order to maintain a peaceful state of affairs.
10. Indiscipline cases
Discipline is so important in the maintenance of peace in school. The most common examples of indiscipline cases include;
- Escapism
- Theft
- Sexual abuse
- Drug abuse
- Assault
Indiscipline is a great threat, and that’s why school administrators strive to maintain order by eliminating the undisciplined students.
11. Harsh government standards
The government, sometimes, sets laws and policies that don’t favor some schools as much as others. This is in case;
- The policies require a lot of money to meet
- A lot of paperwork is required to reach these standards
- Little time is required to fulfill the policies
There are lots of policies about requirements of every school, limitations on the number of students, etc and they can take a toll on the school administrators if they don’t have what it takes to fulfill them.
12. Negative reviews from parents
Every school administrator wants to have positive feedback from parents, based on the performance of students, the standards and the teachers’ approach to parents. Getting negative feedback from parents puts the administrators at risk of losing students.
Conclusion;
No matter how many challenges you face, being a school administrator is a hell of a full-time job, and it can take a toll on you if you haven’t been ready for it all along. Therefore, you just don’t have to get comfortable even if you haven’t experienced some of these challenges, because they could come in a moment’s notice.
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