A feasibility study for the preparation of educational administrators in the Republic of Mali.

Abstract

Schools seek to educate people in order for them to be functional or productive agents in the society. In Mali, schools have experienced a rapid development in a post-colonial environment. The needs have outdistanced the resources and commitment necessary for orderly and progressive growth. Developments in recent years have also generated increased demands on educational administrators, making their jobs more challenging than ever. Such administrators are central to the improvement of the schools. At present there is no process of systematically training these people. This study analyzes the need for, and the possibility of, implementing an educational administration preparation program for school administrators in the Republic of Mali. It then proposes one way of organizing this educational administration preparation program. The diagnosis of educational administrative practice in Mali revealed a serious need for the preparation of educational administrators. To undertake the diagnosis, the current study sought information from national documents, from incumbent educational administrators, and also from a random sample of principals, teachers, students, parents, and educational administration officials. Having diagnosed the problems, the study then develops a proposal for remedying the problems in the form of educational administration preparation program.