10 Most Important Records that every School of the World Must Maintain Positively
Abstract School records include books, documents, diskettes and files that contain information on what goes on in school as well as other relevant information pertaining to the growth and development of the school. This article theoretically debated the role school record to effective educational management, the importance of keeping records in school, types of school records, and characteristics of good record management in schools. This article aims to offer an excellent package to support stakeholders in educational management and/or administration. It is comprehensive and thorough, yet flexible and encompassing. Stakeholders can both learn about and develop skills in school record keeping aimed at enhancing school management, planning and supervision. We conclude that poor records management results in difficulties in administering, development and supervision of educational systems. In fact, poor school records management and the lack of staff development with regards to the entire information cycle are responsible for a number of management and policy implementation problems in school.
- The School Calendar.
- Log Book.
- Admission Register.
- Pupil's Attendance Register.
- Teacher's Attendance Register.
- Cash Book.
- Cumulative Record Cards.
- Stock Register of Equipments.
- Reports to the Parents.
- Service Book.
1. The School Calendar
The school calendar is a mirror where the probable dates of various events and activities to be done during the coming session are reflected. It is usually prepared at the beginning of each academic session. It should contain the following Stems of information.
(i) Information about the general, local and gazette holidays.
(ii) Dates for the submission of monthly, quarterly, holidays and annual reports and returns.
(iii) Dates of monthly, quarterly and annual examinations.
(iv) Dates of the meetings of the school and faculty committees, Teachers’ Associations, different societies, school excursions and educational tours, school tournaments etc.
(v) Dates of important school functions like the annual prize day, the parents day, (he U.N.O. day, Independence Day, Republic Day, Birthday of eminent persons etc.
Thus the school calendar provides important information about various activities to be carried out throughout the academic session.
2. Log Book:
The Log Book is specifically designed for the purpose of containing remarks of the school inspector or other important officers of the education department, who pay an official visit to the school. But it should not be confined to the remarks of the inspecting officers only. It should contain a complete record of the important events that occur during the session. It should also contain the history of the school of a particular year.
Information like the introduction of new text books or apparatus, visits of the inspecting officers, changes in the school routine, absence or illness of any of the official staff etc., should be written in the Log Book. The headmaster is the only authority to make entries in this book.
It is a record of all the pupils who arc admitted to a school. According to departmental rules, the admission register is to be preserved permanently in the school. Therefore, it is essential that it should be got specially bound and kept in safe custody. It is to be free from mistakes because this register is at times required by superior authorities in a court of law as an evidence for the date of birth of the pupils. The admission register should contain the following items.
(ii) His father’s name, caste, occupation and address.
(iii) His date of birth.
(iv) Date of admission to the school,
(v) The class to which he is admitted.
(vi) Dale of withdrawal or migration from the school.
4. Pupil’s Attendance Register:
This is another important register which is maintained in each class and section, showing the names of the pupils on the roll of the class or section, during a month. The attendance is marked in the beginning of (he school hour. Entries should be made in ink. Blanks should not be left. Students who remain absent from the school without leave for fifteen consecutive attendance is struck off from the rolls. Holidays are marked in red ink. Monthly fees and fines are collected from the pupils in this register.
5. Teacher’s Attendance Register:
To record the daily attendance of the teachers, schools maintain the teacher’s attendance register. This shows the time of arrival and departure of the teachers on each day. The teachers are to sign regularly in the forenoon and afternoon everyday. Time of arrival of the late comers should be indicated. Leave taken by (he teachers during the month holidays etc., are to be written on it. It should be kept outside the room of the headmaster. When the first period starts, it should go to the headmaster for verification.
6. Cash Book:
Cash Book is a record of all money transactions occurring from day-to-day in the school. Money received by the school from different sources like fees, fines, donations, stipends, scholarships, grant-in-aid are entered on the credit side. On the debit side the payments like the salaries of the teachers, stipends, scholarships, contingent expenditure incurred, deposits made in the Treasury, bank and post office are shown. Balance is shown in red ink. It should be regularly written and the day’s business should be closed with the signature of -the headmaster. It should be an up-to-date record.
It is a document in which the relevant information about a particular students at one educational institution is recorded cumulatively. This gives a complete and growing picture of the individual student, which helps him during his long stay at the school and at the time of leaving it, in the solution of his manifold problems of educational, vocational; personal and social. It follows the pupil from class to class and from school.
It provides an opportunity to have a comprehensive picture of the all-round development of the personality of the child. It is a very important record which should be maintain in every school. Therefore, The Secondary Education Commission opines “these should be a common feature all over the country.”
8. Stock Register of Equipments:
This register keeps information of all the movable property of the school. While purchasing equipment or furniture, it must be duly entered in this property register. The head of the institution should check this register physically at least once in a year. Verification report should be recorded in the stock register. It can show which articles are missing and which need immediate repairs. The register should contain the following information :
(i) Name of the article.
(ii) Quantity of the articles.
(iii) Date of purchase.
(iv) Name of the firm which supplied the articles.
(v) The authority ordering purchase, (vi) Signature of the authority.
9. Reports to the Parents:
To get cooperation from the parents reports containing various information about the child should be sent to the parents periodically. It should contain information like the academic progress of the child, his health condition, participation in curricular and co-curricular activities and other important information.
As a result, the parents can know the physical, intellectual, social, moral and emotional growth of their children. Parents are also requested to guide their children according to the information given in [he report.
10. Service Book:
`The service book contains the service history of the employees. Information like the employee’s date of appointment, his/her date of birth, educational qualifications, identification marks, permanent home address, transfer, leave accounts, date of increments, reversion if any of reinstatement etc., are carefully written in this book. The original service book is kept in the custody of the headmaster in the secondary school.
The authorities should duly verify the service book and make necessary entries. The first page of the service book contains the following information :
1. Name
2. Residence.
3. Date of birth by Christian era as nearly as can be ascertained.
4. Educational qualification.
5. Exact height by measurement.
6. Personal mark for identification.
7. Father’s name and residence.
8. Left hand thumb and finger impression.
9. Signature of the teacher.
10. Date of entry into service.
11. Signature of the Headmaster.
From the next page the name of the post, temporary or permanent, monthly pay, date of increment, details of leave account etc., are written neatly. The entries of the first page should be renewed or re-attested at least every five years except in the case of finger prints.
