Abstract:
The purpose of the present study i s to e l i c i t the
information whether the C i r c u i t Education Officers role
has changed and whether they are actually performing a
useful function within the Educational Administrative
System of S r i Lanka. It i s intended to f i n d out whether
the rating of the C i r c u i t Education^of themselves is
similar or different to the rating of the C i r c u i t Education
Officers made by the P r i n c i p a l s and teachers
(termed teaching s t a f f ).
The main feature of this study i s to explore the
p o s s i b i l i t y of the C i r c u i t Education 0fficer*'s role
being performed by some other o f f i c e r , perhaps with a
different designation i n case the post of the Circuit
Education^ceases to exist.
The f i r s t chapter of this study deals with the
statement of the problem. Although Supervision i s essent
i a l to better educational management in schools as also
for the improvement of the teaching-learning s i t u a t i o n,
the o f f i c e r s appointed for supervision are overloaded
with routine administrative work and they hardly find
the time for supervision. Hence the deterioration of the
supervision work. However the necessity f o r i t remains.
Changes i n the role of the C i r c u i t Education Officer
have been observed and the study aims to assess the
present situation, with the view of making recommendations
for the improvement of the quality of Education
i n Schools. This chapter also gives i n b r i e f other
objectives of the study, i t s delimitations and the
methods used to collect information, necessary for the
study.
IV
Chapter two discusses the changing concepts of
supervision. Quoting recognized authorities in the f i e ld
i t i s shown that the concepts of supervision have changed
over the years. Concepts that were present in primitive
society were found unsuitable when the societies developed
and became complex. Hance the emergence of new concepts
When S r i lanka came under colonial domination, the concepts
prevalent in the imperial countries influenced t h is
country and were adopted in the introduced educational
systems.
Chapter 3 examines the evolution of the Inspectorate
from i t s inception to the present period - to
about 1981. Thottegh supervision, was always present the
Inspectorate does not have such a long history. It
originated under the Dutch and developed under the
B r i t i s h . F i n a l l y the Inspectorate acquired the present
form in the decade after I960. It was reorganised once
i n 1966 and again in 1972 to ;serve the needs that emerged.
Changes in designation was brought about in keeping
with the development of enlightened concepts of
su 'ervision. The School Inspectors were termed Education
Officers, the C i r c u i t Inspector was designated ,t&e
C i r c u i t Education Officer. The Inspectorate i s now on
the threshold of another more r a d i c a l change.
Chapter four deals with the changes in the role
of the C i r c u i t Education Officer. How the role acquired
new dimensions was reviewed along with those new dimensions.
Conflict situations in the performance of hfee
role were also discussed.
V
Chapter five i s devoted to the review of the
performance of two rna£or dimensions of the r o l e of the
C i r c u i t Education Officer. The f i r s t is h i s role in the
present p o l i t i c a l set up and second i s h i s role as a
Community Leader. These are new dimensions which have
emerged since p o l i t i c s became an important factor i n the
S r i Lankan society; and also because the educational
system is no!..longer considered apart from society today.
Chapter six deals with the question of decentralization
in r e l a t i o n to the performance of the functions of
the C i r c u i t Education Officer. It examines whether the
C i r c u i t Education Officer could work better under a decent
r a l i z e d set up v/hich would give more scope for the use
of his i n i t i a t i v e . It also reviews b r i e f l y the system
of school complexes or clusters which are expected to
take the place of school c i r c u i t s.
The data collected by the questionnaire and the
interview method i s analysed in the seventh chapter. The
C i r c u i t Education Officersrating of themselves i s analysed
i n relation to the variables which could effect the
rating. Similarly their opinion i s again considered in
r e l a t i o n to the r a t i n g f*$ the teaching staff 9&0&JQ£
them.
Chapter eight gives the summary of the dissertation
i n brief and also the writers own conclusions and recommendations
;as a poihieErto the future.
VI
According to the findings of the study i t . i s revealed
that there are a number of useful functions which are
performed by the C i r c u i t Education Officers, especially
i n the f i e l d of co-ordination and administration. It i s
also revealed that the C i r c u i t Education Officer i s a
useful feed-back o f f i c e r enlightening the government of
the deficiencies i n the schools. F i n a l l y i t also reveals
that they have very l i t t l e time f o r guidance and classroom
supervision. This has made them less acceptable
to the teaching staff as capable guides and counsellors.
Very l i t t l e research has been done about the functions
of these much maligned o f f i c e r s . Though strong
opinions have been aired against them an^. unbiased
and honest approach to t h e i r problems has not been
visualised.