How To Conduct Realistic Educational Strategic Planning

By Lora Jones


Nobody will deny the fact that the quality of education is one of the most important components of successful societies. History has shown that prosperous countries inevitably boast superior education systems. The world changes at a rapid pace, however, and it is necessary to continually adapt the curriculum to make provision for new needs and demands. That is why educational strategic planning is so important.

A strategy allows education authorities to be proactive rather than reactive. The environment changes very fast and it would be virtually impossible to keep a relevant curriculum active if it needs to react to environmental changes. The best route is to foresee those changes and to plan well ahead of time. This is what strategizing is all about.

Any decent strategy needs to address all the various environments that may have an influence on the quality of education. One of the most important environments that need to be studied is the technological environment. This is a fast paced field that changes at an astonishing pace. Education needs to make use of new technology and it must also teach students how to take advantage of it.

A good strategy must also make provision for the future needs of industry and society. New jobs are created regularly and many jobs of the future do not even exist yet. In order to prepare students for future success it is necessary to anticipate the state of the job market by the time the students will be entering that market. Old fashioned curricula simply do not prepare students in this respect.

Any realistic strategy must also make provision for changes in the government environment. Policies and procedures that have a direct influence on the curriculum change from time to time and it would be best to be ready for such changes. Change often means disruption in the education process but if the institution is ready for those changes the disruption would be minimal.

A good strategy should be developed by a team. No one person can possibly have all the knowledge and skills that are required to perform this task. It would also be necessary to consult with a wide range of experts in various fields. This may require a lot of time and there may need to be somebody in charge of coordinating the effort.

It is impossible for anybody to accurately predict future developments in any field. The world changes at an astonishing pace. It is therefore necessary to regularly review a strategy and to adapt it to make provision for new developments and changes in the various environments. A strategy is therefore never complete. Unless it is updated regularly it becomes a useless document.

Educational strategic planning is of paramount importance for any institution that wishes to keep their curriculum current and valid. It is vital that the education process react to changes in the world. This is the only way in which to prepare students for a productive role in society. Education that is slow to reflect the needs of society most certainly put students at a distinct disadvantage.




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