Top 4 Major Types of Educational Management (2024)

This article throws light upon the four major types of educational management. The types are: (1) Centralized and Decentralized Education Management, (2) External and Internal Education Management, (3) Autocratic and Democratic Educational Management, and (4) Creative Educational Management.

1. Centralized and Decentralized Educational Management:

This type of educational management refers to the centralization of the power and responsibility of educational administration, supervision and control which results in educational management on one hand and division and distribution of powers and responsibilities of educational administration, supervision and control that results in educational management. Among these two types of educational management, decentralized educational management is the accepted type of educational management in the present modern educational system.

The cause is that divisions and distribution of powers, responsibilities and duties of any type can make every programme a successful one.

In the centralized educational management all sorts of powers, responsibilities in relation to educational management are vested in one hand. He/she may be the real or titular head. Suppose in the field of higher education the Director, Higher Education is the real executive head and all sorts of powers and responsibilities remain in his/her hand. The other associate officers are Additional Director, Deputy Director, Assistant Director remain silent in this regard.

Then the principals of different colleges also remain silent in this regard. But practically speaking this type of educational management is outdated and useless in the modern educational system. The reason is that it was prevailed when expansion of education was a charitable work for the kings and emperors. But in the decentralized educational management the powers, responsibilities are distributed and decentralized from the Director Higher Education to the peon of a college in which everybody involved in the field of higher education feels seriously the responsibility of educational management. And at the same time they take the risk of making educational management a successful one.

2. External and Internal Educational Management:

The External Management of educational programme means for those elements, factors and supporting agencies which provide opportunities and facilities for the smooth management of educational programme in external perspective. In humanitarian perspective the external management of educational programme refers to the persons or elements who are indirectly involved in its management.

They are the community members, specialists, experts, administrators, parents, supervisors and all other agencies. Their first and foremost duty is to create a suitable and sound atmosphere and provide all sorts of resources and help in moral ground. Besides they have to give suggestions for participating and observing the management of educational institution. But they are active and internal involvement in the process isn’t acceptable and desirable.

Internal Educational Management refers to management of any educational programme is vested upon the persons who are actively and internally involved in the management of every educational programme. It categorically refers to the head of the institution or head master/principal of the school and other teaching personnel, students and non-teaching staff.

Besides the internal management means the duty is rendered by these personnel as assigned to them in relation to planning, organizing, coordinating, supervising, controlling, administering and evaluating. Here it is essential to mention that although they are not officially assigned to manage the programme and satisfy it but the degree or certificate that will be given to them will be their expectation level.

Practically speaking, internal management has much more importance than external management. The reason is that the elements of internal management are actively involved in the process and the degree of success of management depends upon them.

3. Authoritarian/Autocratic and Democratic Educational Management:

Just like centralized management authoritarian management plays its role. In centralized management the centralization of the power and responsibility of educational management centered in and exercised by, a central power, organisation or agency. It implies that all the policies and programmes are planned, directed by one central agency. Here the central agency may be a person, a group of persons as “core group.” So when the powers and responsibilities center round a particular person or group then the term authoritarian or autocracy comes into limelight.

In this context it will be suffice if will discuss authoritarian/autocratic management where authority and control lies in one person or group or institution. In this management the rights are absolute and supreme and educational management is a state of monopoly. In this type of educational management every aspect of education is controlled by one. And educational administration becomes centralized being dominated by bureaucracy, which controlls through strict administration of laws, rules and regulations.

The business of the staff is to emphasize these laws, rules and central orders and to see that these are properly carried out. The teacher as the real and regular practioner becomes the mouth piece of the central authority having no professional freedom. This type of educational management generally found in totalitarian or unitary states. In this type of states educational management remains in the hand of the head of the educational institution who exercises authority and control in a centralized form. It implies that he directs every action of his teachers and students. He plans all the school activities.

He tells the teachers and students what to think as well as what to do. He takes decision and gives all directions to teachers and students. He thinks himself as an only active agency in the management of every educational programme of the institution. In this type of management ‘I-feelings’ are pre-dominant and ego of one individual prevails.

Democratic educational management:

Now in the modern era democracy is unanimously regarded and accepted “as the way of life.” This is not only applicable in case of a particular nation but also for the entire globe/world. This very statement implies that in every aspect of development the democratic principles, values and ideas must be adhered or accepted. Accordingly in the field of management it must be accepted and implemented.

Being contextual in approach it can be visualized that in the field of education democratic management is highly stressed. In other-words it can be said that democratic educational management is the need of the day for bringing wholesome educational development of every nation. Like other educational managements “authority and control” are also the two basic hallmarks in democratic educational management, which are exercised in decentralized form.

Decentralization refers to the type of management in which control is vested in the agencies or persons ranging from grass-root level to top level. It recognizes the rights of all the agencies or persons who are linked with the educational institution. In this type of educational management ‘we feelings’ prevail in the educational institution with an environment of mutual trust, accompanied by co-operative planning, group discussion, participation of all the staff members and organization of the programme in a joint-venture.

In this management teachers get proper scope for planning, administering, organizing, directing, coordinating, supervising, controlling and evaluating the assignments entrusted upon them. However like democracy in democratic educational management the following principles are highly stressed.

Principles of Democratic Educational Management:

The principles of democratic educational management are:

a. Principle of sharing responsibility:

In the field of democratic educational management everybody who is more or less involved in the process should take the responsibility to share in the work.

b. Principle of Equality:

As equality is the basic hallmark of democracy. It should be treated and accepted in the field of democratic educational management. So all the personnel who are involved in the process should get equal facilities, rights and opportunities in doing their duty.

c. Principle of Freedom:

In the field of democratic educational management every person should be given freedom to do their duty in their own jurisdiction. This will lead to make the educational management of every educational programme successful in democratic perspective.

d. Principle of Co-operation:

In order to make educational management of any educational programme a successful one a greater cooperation should be ensured among different persons involved in the field of educational management.

4. Creative Educational Management:

The creative management of every educational programme indicates the uniqueness of the head of the educational institution in which the programme is conducted. It means when the educational management of any educational programme is done through utilization of creative talents associated with this from top to bottom in a desirable and acceptable manner.

Lassiez faire Educational Management:

This type of management gives freedom to the functionaries or personnel involving in it. It means for ensuring proper management of educational programme freedom as far as possible and practicable should be given to everybody and they have to exercise this freedom in a desirable and acceptable manner.