What are the statutory responsibilities of a school principal and other school officials?
DUTIES OF SCHOOL FUNCTIONARIES
DUTIES OF THE PRINCIPAL
A school has several important roles that must be performed in order to ensure the proper functioning of the institution. The role of a school is not limited to educating students; it also involves overseeing other various aspects of student life, such as their welfare and safety. Furthermore, schools need to maintain close relationships with their local communities so that they can address any concerns parents or community members may have.
The Principal:
a) is the Accounting Officer of the school.
b) is to set standards and targets of activities for the school.
c) controls the finances of the school.
d) maintains the school infrastructure and facilities.
e) plans, develops and monitors curricular and co-curricular activities of the school.
f) maintains discipline among staff and students of the school.
g) ensures the keeping of statutory records of the school, adhere strictly to the approved admission and transfer list from the Ministry of Education or the District Headquarters, and approves issuance of testimonials and certificates.
h) supervises the proper completion of entry schedule of approved external examinations.
i) monitors the performance of his Deputy Principal and Vice-Principals.
j) should be conversant with Government policies and regulations as they affect the school system.
k) is to endorse all incoming and outgoing correspondences for action.
l) maintains a functional and cordial relationship with the school community, School Based Management Committee, Old Students’ Association and other critical stakeholders.
m) shall provide job description for all supporting staff.
n) shall submit annual report on staff, students and institutions to the District Education Directorate.
o) acts as a member of the governing board and participates in selection of teachers before Permanent Placement Board.
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Term by term school activities to develop pupils
DUTIES OF DEPUTY PRINCIPAL
As the Deputy Principal in a school, you are
DUTIES OF THE VICE- PRINCIPAL (ADMINISTRATION)
The Vice- Principal (Administration):
a) takes charge of the school in the absence of the Principal.
b) keeps the Admission Registers, issues Transfer Certificates and testimonials, with strict supervision and monitoring of the school principal, being the Accounting Officer of the school. The principal reserves the rights to withdraw those two vital documents from the custody of the Vice-Principal (Administration) if not properly handled and accounted for.
c) keeps and monitors the staff attendance register and staff movement book.
d) prepares weekly duty roster for the staff and ensures that the duties are carried out by staff. Weekly reports of the duty carried out within the week must be written by the coordinator of the week and submitted to the Vice-Principal (Administration).
e) prepares statistical data and makes necessary returns to the appropriate quarters.
f) presides over the Disciplinary Committee and also ensures that a high standard of discipline is maintained among teachers and students.
g) takes charge of teachers’ and Students’ welfare.
h) ensures that the Learners’ Representative Council- LRC (formerly, Students’ Representative Council- SRC) meetings are held regularly and resolutions at the meetings are passed to the Principal.
i) Acts as the second signatory to the school accounts.
j) appoints the class teachers in consultation with the school principal and monitors the proper keeping of attendance registers.
k) assists the Principal in attending to general correspondence.
l) monitors the performance of the non-teaching staff.
m) takes charge of non-academic co-curricular activities.
n) performs any other duties that may be assigned to him/her by the Principal.
DUTIES OF VICE-PRINCIPAL (ACADEMIC)
As the Vice-Principal in charge of academic affairs, your main duties include:
a) developing and maintaining a strong curriculum framework that supports the school’s mission, vision, and goals.
b) ensures that up-to-date schemes of work are available in the various subjects.
c) prepares in consultation with the Principal, the allocation of subjects to all teachers.
d) prepares the school Time-Table with the assistance of the time-table committee.
e) marks the lesson notes of the H.O.Ds and ensures that the H.O.Ds mark the lesson notes of the teachers under them.
f) monitors teachers’ performance in the teaching of their subjects and checks the lesson missed registers regularly.
g) ensures that the weekly record of work is written in the diaries and checked at the end of the week.
h) presides over the Examination Committee, ensures that periodic tests are given, marked, recorded and kept.
i) maintains up-to-date statistical records on academic matters.
j) takes charge of subject oriented co-curricular activities e.g. (subject associations).
k) holds regular meetings with Year Tutors and H.O.Ds with Principal’s approval to discuss academic matters, minutes of which shall be passed to the Principal within three days.
l) assists in the general discipline of both staff and students.
m) acts as one of the three signatories to the school accounts.
n) acts as the Chairman of the speech and prize-giving day committee.
o) carries out other duties assigned to him/her by the Principal.
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DUTIES OF VICE-PRINCIPAL (STUDENT AFFAIRS)
As the Vice-Principal in charge of student affairs, your main duties include:
a) overseeing all student support services, including guidance counseling and career development.
b) ensures that all physical infrastructures of the school are constantly checked and maintained.
c) constantly ensures that the waste generated by the school is properly managed and disposed from time to time. The general hygiene and water supplies to the school fall within the purview of the Vice-Principal (Special Duties) with the support of the school principal.
d) all repairs necessary to be carried out within the school should be to the knowledge of the vice principal (special duties) who in turn notifies the school principal.
e) External invitational activities must be supervised and monitored by him.
f) ensures that social events and activities of the school are strengthened and reinforced.
g) supports the other two vice-principals from time to time as directed by the school principal.
h) though, the principal is the chief security of the school, he does this with the constant support from the Vice-Principal (Special Duties).
i) he acts as a liaison officer between the school and the District Headquarters on matters of requests.
j) supports the other two vice-principals on issues relating to both academic and co-curricular.
k) he performs any other duties assigned to him/her by the principal.
DUTIES OF THE HEAD OF DEPARTMENT
Heads of Department shall be by seniority, qualifications and performance.
The Head of Department:
a) co-ordinates the academic work of all teachers in the Department.
b) examines and marks lesson notes of teachers in the Department.
c) checks the subject diaries and ensures that records of work done are entered at the end of every week.
d) advises the Vice-Principal (Academic) on the allocation of subjects to the teachers in the Department.
e) reviews the curriculum and schemes of work and recommends improvement where necessary.
f) recommends books from the approved list for each class to the Vice-Principal (Academic).
g) conducts short seminars/workshops for teachers in the department as and when necessary.
h) teaches the number of periods assigned to him on the time-table.
i) carries out other duties allocated by to him by the principal.
DUTIES OF THE YEAR TUTOR:
The year tutor:
a) monitors and coordinates the activities of the teachers in relation to their class work, Students’ written work and record keeping.
b) encourages teachers and students to comport themselves at all times.
c) monitors the Continuous Assessment Records of his class.
d) co-ordinates the activities of the class captains.
e) he is responsible to the welfare of his students and monitors their psycho-social behavior in conjunction with the school counselor.
f) teaches the number of periods allocated to him on the time table.
DUTIES OF THE SCHOOL GUIDANCE COUNSELLOR:
The Guidance Counsellor:
a) helps the students to adjust to school life by guiding the individual students to achieve a sense of self-direction, self understanding and mental balance necessary to make maximum adjustment to the school, home and society.
b) keeps Students’ Cumulative Records in order to identify and assist students who may need a remedial programme.
c) provides vocational guidance through choice of subjects according students’ individual potentials for maximum career attainment.
d) provides referral services for students, teachers and parents.
e) provides a programme of evaluation and appraisal services for students.
f) provides selection services (in collaboration with other teachers) for special programmes.
DUTIES OF THE CLASS TEACHER:
In addition to their main responsibility of teaching students, teachers are also responsible for assessing students’ progress, providing support and guidance to students, and communicating with parents about students’ academic and behavioral progress. Teachers must also remain up-to-date on new educational trends and approaches so they can continue to provide high-quality instruction to their students. Additionally, teachers are often expected to perform administrative duties such as preparing reports and attending meetings with school administrators, parents, or other community members.
The class teacher:
a) takes charge of a particular class and ensures the cleanliness of the classroom.
b) marks the attendance register daily and takes note of all absentees.
c) sees to the welfare of every student in the class as the in-loco-parentis and finds out the causes of any unduly long absence of a student from school and reports to the Vice-Principal (Administration).
d) shall be very accessible and ready to help the students in solving their personal challenges, if any.
e) keeps watch over their individual behaviour and constantly advises them on all aspects of their school life and refers difficult problems to the guidance counsellor.
f) answers questions on any aspect pertaining to his/her class when required to.
g) prepares the continuous assessment booklet , the class broad sheet and joins other class teachers to prepare the omnibus broad sheet, and finally get both the soft and hard copy of the results with the analysis.
DUTIES OF THE SUBJECT TEACHER:
The subject teacher:
a) prepares a weekly lesson note and submits to his HOD for vetting before he teaches the lessons.
b) teaches the number of periods allocated to him on the time-table.
c) keeps a number of teaching records like; the lesson notes, subject attendance register, subject marks book, continuous assessment booklets, schemes of work, teacher’s time-table, class time-table, etc.
d) sees to the cleanliness of the classroom and its immediate environs and the well-being of the students who should look up to him for guidance and assistance.
e) maintains discipline among his students in and outside the class, and refers serious cases to the appropriate authority.
f) checks and makes notes given to or prepared by the students regularly.
g) sets, marks, record class assignments and tests and examination scripts promptly.
h) takes part in the invigilation of both internal and external examinations.
i) attends staff, PTA and other meetings punctually and partakes actively in them.
j) takes charge (or jointly with other teachers) of at least one club/society in the school.
k) carries out other assignments given him by his HOD, and other school authorities.
Duties of School Counselors
School counselors play an important role in supporting students’ academic and emotional well-being. They typically work closely with students on a one-on-one basis to address issues relating to social skills, stress management, academic difficulties, and career exploration. They help students develop healthy and positive relationships with peers, teachers, and family members, as well as identify their strengths and interests. Additionally, school counselors may be involved in designing lessons or activities that promote mental health awareness in the school community.
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Duties of non teaching staff members.
In addition to supporting the work of teachers and school counselors, non-teaching staff members such as custodians, secretaries, administrative assistants, nurses, and food service workers play an essential role in the functioning of a school. These staff members are responsible for maintaining a clean and safe environment for students, managing administrative tasks such as record keeping and scheduling, and providing critical services such as meal preparation and healthcare. They play an important role in ensuring that students receive the support and resources they need to thrive.
As you can see, there are many important roles and duties that must be performed in order for a school to run smoothly and effectively. Whether you are a teacher, school counselor, principal, or other school staff member, it is essential to work collaboratively with your colleagues so that the needs of students are prioritized and met
FIRST TERM EXAMINATION ALL SUBJECTS FOR CLASSES
