The Need for an Effective School Supervision

Supervision is needed in order that the three components of the educative process, namely: the learner, the teacher, and the venue  or the school  functions effectively.  This can be done by giving priority or importance  to the learner  as the end-goal of the process which should be properly nurtured; it is the teacher and his enthusiastic package lesson that can best help in charting the destiny of the learner; and sees to it  that the school that serves as the venue for the learning experiences of the pupils should be designed conducively.  These three elements are indispensable in running a school for they are intertwined.  The absence of one element, the educative process would not be in an ideal perspective.

The four main functions of supervision succinctly reveal the necessity of supervision as follows:

1.      As to administrative, supervision provides information about policy and procedures; acts as a communication channel for vertical and lateral contacts (sometimes also acting as a "buffer" between the worker and other systems); carries authority for making certain policy and procedural decisions; and is responsible to delegate both authority and power to the supervisee.

2.      As to educational, educational - supervision engages the worker in examination of practice, knowledge, skills, value and attitudinal issues. Through this examination of work, the worker can improve his/her ability to do the job effectively.

3. As to support - On-the-job stress comes from a variety of sources - client-related, agency-related, and community-related. Accumulated stress can interfere both with learning and with service to clients, and the supervisor can provide support to reduce feelings of stress.
4. As to evaluation - The supervisor is required to establish expected performance standards and state methods that will be used to evaluate progress. The evaluation aspect of supervision can provide direction and support for ongoing development and learning, and also helps ensure quality and accountability of services.

The school can never function well in the absence of  an effective supervision.  Without effective supervision, quality of instruction can never be achieved.  Supervision is a task being done by the school administrator to improve instruction.  Such objective can only be attained through the evaluation of the teaching-learning process where supervision plays a vital role.

Supervision is needed in any enterprise for better assurance that action is performed correctly, taking place currently, and in accordance with plans and action.  It can be then wrap up as emphasized by Miranda (1993) that supervision leads to purposeful action on the part of workers and employees who are the subject of supervision.

In education for instance, when an educator speaks of a school, what comes next in the scene is supervision. In fact, the function of supervision evolved with development of public or private school systems, its problems and its opportunities. Education is an organized enterprise that expends billions of money. Supervision is needed to assure that this money used most effectively in the interest of children. The goals of any given school system can be realized though proper supervision.

Obtaining and using supervision effectively is a significant part of any worker. The following discussion focuses on ways in which we can use supervision more actively and effectively.

The purposes of supervision

• To ensure that the worker is clear about roles and responsibilities.
• To encourage the worker to meet the profession’s objectives.
• To encourage quality of service to clients.
• To encourage professional development and provide personal support .
• To assist in identifying and managing stress in the l worker’s professional role.
• To consider the resources the  worker has available to do their job and manage issues arising where they are inadequate.
• To provide a positive environment within which work practice can be discussed and reviewed.

Principles of supervision

• All workers require supervision.
• The best interest of the client must always come first except where there are threats to safety.
• Supervision is mandated by agency policy.
• Supervision is culturally safe and gender appropriate for the participants.
• Supervision is a shared responsibility.
• Supervision is based on a negotiated agreement which has provision for conflict resolution.
• Supervision is regular and uninterrupted.

• Supervision promotes critically reflective, competent, responsible, and empowered practice.
• Supervision promotes anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice.
• Supervision is based on an understanding of how adults learn.  
• Supervision provides for appropriate consultation when needed in regard to issues related to gender, culture, sexual orientation and identity, disability, religion or age.
  (Morrison,1993; ANZASW, 1998)