Understanding Our School: History and Structure

Introduction

• School is a familiar environment that moulds individuals into good citizens possessing intelligence and virtuosity.
• School contributes to the individual's development and to the development of society.
• Honoring and respecting the school is important as it produces successful people.

History of Our School

• History is studying past events, particularly in human affairs.
• The school's history is its development from the day it was started to the present day.

Sources to find information about the history of a school:

• Plaques placed at various locations
• Old documents, pictures, and photographs in the city or village library/school library
• Retired principals and teachers
• Documents maintained in the school like log-books, student admission registers, mark books and census reports
• Religious leaders
• Past students

Organizational Structure of the School

• The organizational structure shows the administration and developmental affairs, and may change according to the number of students and teachers.
• This is a rough plan of a school organizational structure:
  • Students
  • Class Monitors
  • Prefects
  • Class Teachers
  • Deputy Principal
  • Past Students
  • Principal
  • School Development Committee

Responsibilities and Duties of School Members, the Principal:

• Act as the head of the school and educational activities.
• Admit students, deploy them into classes, plus assign respective teachers.
• Prepare timetables and organize classroom teaching activities.
• Launch activities for the development and welfare of the staff.
• Implement and develop the curriculum.
• Supervise teaching.
• Evaluate teachers.
• Supervise students' evaluation and discipline.
• Implement rules and regulations and be responsible to the ministry.
• Elevate the school, keeping relationships with the community: parents, past students, external organizations.
• Acquire necessary equipment and sports material.

Responsibilities and Duties of School Members, the Teachers:

• Inculcate discipline and decorum.
• Provide proper guidance for character development.
• Ensure cooperation and commitment from all members of the school society.
• Develop knowledge, attitudes, and skills in the subjects they teach.
• Work in conformity with accepted norms, regulations, and values.
• Contribute to the educational and physical development of the school.
• Conduct school term tests and award marks.
• Implement School-Based Assessments.
• Maintain a pleasant classroom environment.
• Treat all students equally.
• Involve students in good acts and encourage introducing them to society.

Responsibilities and Duties of School Members, the Non-Academic Staff:

• Assist the principal and staff to implement school activities.
• Help provide facilities for students' educational activities.

Responsibilities and Duties of School Members, the Students:

• Assist in maintaining the cleanliness and beauty of the school garden.
• Assist in security activities.
• Maintain goodwill with other students.
• Students must attend school daily, diligently involve themselves in studies and respect the principal and staff.
• Cooperate and maintain cordial relations with other students.
• Safeguard the dignity of the school.
• Safeguard rules, regulations and traditions and maintain discipline.
• Safeguard resources and maintain the school environment through systematic maintenance and cleanliness.
• Fulfilling these responsibilities improves school quality and development.

Other Roles within the School Structure:

• Include the School Development Committee, Sports Committee, Welfare Committee, Scouting Committee, Discipline Committee, Religious Committee, Environmental Committee, and the Board of Prefects

Self-Enquiry

• Facts will help students identify themselves correctly with:
  • Their personal information, obstacles faced in life, various skills, any weaknesses, and good characteristics

Identifying Talents

• Display talents using items like leftover materials or clay.
• It is important to consider things like your talents, achievements, creations, others' talents, words of appreciation, and which talents others notice or praise you for.

C.W.W. Kannangara

• Born Christopher William Wijekoon Kannangara, on October 13, 1884, in Randomba.
• Kannangara was the first Minister of Education in 1931 and the pioneer of free education in Sri Lanka.
• Kannangara facilitated free education from primary to university levels, establishing Central Colleges and a vernacular education system.
• He was known as the Father of Free Education in Sri Lanka.

Developing Abilities and Talents:

• These can be developed by:
  • Learning from one's own experiences
  • Taking others' like experiences from family or social groups
  • Participating in training programs, using electronic media, gaining knowledge from veterans, studying newspapers, and observing others creatively
  • Books and writings should be relevant to the field of abilities

Developing talents:

• To identify talents and abilities you can:
  • Perform in order to build up self-confidence and useful to society
  • Have maximum benefit could be gained by understanding nature and the lifestyle utilizing them accordingly.

Actions to minimize weaknesses:

• Identification of weaknesses
• Be Humble to accept when one's weaknesses are pointed out
• Determine to minimize one's weaknesses as much as possible
• Take actions so they do not reoccur

Challenges Faced By Students

• Economic difficulties, failure of others to respect one's identity, failure to get leadership, pressure from rebellious students, etc.
• Every individual needs challenges that promote more success and converts individuals into leaders in life.

Opportunities provided by the school for one's development

• Knowledge, attitudes, skills and habits you acquire in school are of immense help to exist as a good citizen.
• The school provides you with subject knowledge and skills during those talent can be exhibited, and it trains co-existance.