BERAKAS Secondary School's heads of department and staff have been advised to embrace change in order to ensure that students gain valuable skills and well-equipped to face the challenges posed by the soon-to-be implemented National Education System for the 21st century (SPN 21).
Speaking to over 40 members of staff representing the school's 15 departments, Principal Hj Ismail Hj Zainal acknowledged that change was not something that one could easily accepted, especially by those who were already feel at ease within their own comfort zones.
He dared administrators, heads of departments and assistants attending the Heads of Department (HoD) Seminar-Workshop to not only think out of the box but also to follow it up with appropriate actions.
He said heads of department, as leaders of the 21st century, were required to be knowledgeable, adaptive, innovative and able to learn independently.
All the teachers should be empowered, inspired and motivated in the hope that those attributes would then be passed on to their students, the principal added.
He also touched on the constant cycle of learning and changing, prompting those present to consider transforming learning, moving from quantity to quality.
Hj Ismail advised teachers not to rush to finish their syllabus just for the sake of it, but rather teaching to impart knowledge to the students.
He however acknowledged that there were individuals who went on to touch hearts and engage minds even at the cost of spending their own money to buy materials.
The seminar and workshop was run by the school's Research, Evaluation and Development (Red) Office, featuring the launching of a handbook for present and future heads of departments.
Head of Red Office, Masnonah Hj Abdul Aziz shared her personal experience as a head of department who was appointed by the principal but given very little to no direction nor training despite carrying the heavy burden of responsibility on her shoulders.
The school administration, through the Red Office, prepared the handbook to help heads of department better understand their roles in managing their respective departments and leading them towards achieving teaching and learning excellence with its six modules The role of HoD; Management as an Art; Administration: a Translation; Supervision and Evaluation; Data, Reports and Documentation; and The HoD: an Overview.
In addition, to giving the heads of departments the basic tools to perform their tasks, the principal also offered valuable advice taken from his own experience.
From one leader to many others, Hj Ismail said that leaders were expected to possess insight and foresight, be capable of both leading and managing, effectively communicate and work well with others as a team.
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