Chapter 1

THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

• School as an Organization
In basic education, the Department of Education determines the bureaucratic structure of school
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
(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 the 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 organizations

To help learners to learn and develop knowledge, skills and values
Helping to mold the minds and character of students
To implement the curriculum prescribed by Department of Education
The student 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 school; and
•Culture - pertains to shared values and behaviors of students, teachers, staff and
administration.
 SCHOOL AS 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
• The system theory, it is best to examine some of the characteristics of schools including
• Structure
• Culture and Climate
• Leadership and decision making
• Relationships

Structure
• As social system/organization, schools structures have characteristics of rational, natural, open
systems. They have hierarchies of authority, goals and role expectation similar to bureaucratic
organizations. Individual needs affect employee behavior organizational goals are not firm
informal organizations derived from interactions among individuals and school (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 of 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, national level.
• Line of authorities and responsibilities are clearly defined.
• This bureaucratic structure of the school has received much criticism for the public especially
among the teacher's and local school administrators.

Culture and Climate

• School culture is preserved and transferred to new members by the socialization process
(kowalski 2010)
• The school culture is influenced by the philosophy and core values of the school it is also
continously shaped by the culture of every individual members of the school.
• Climate on the other hand represent an organizations 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 school like equipment, classroom
2. Social frame is the social factor
3. Environment frame mostly related to social behavior of individuals within a school.
4.Structural frame represent factors such as hierarchy, authority, role and
symbolic frame is the parts of culture like believes, norms, values (kowalski, 2010)

Leadership and decision making

• In social system of schools an important aspect of leadership is the quality and systematic
affects of functions and behavior of principals as leader (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.
Relationships
• Social organization 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.
• Socialization have a significant impact on many vital processes.