Introduction

This assignment focuses on the categories of record and documents used in schools across Guyana. Topics that the researcher will focus on are the two categories of records at school (whole school and class records) where twelve whole school records and eight class records will be focused on along with samples of each document. The purpose of each document will be discussed listed under the given categories and the regulations governing the use and maintenance of each document.

What is the difference between whole school records and class records?

● Whole school records are documents meant for keeping information for various purposes on teachers, students, head office and various activities of the school.

● Class record are data or information kept on students or pupils of a particular class.

Whole school records

· Statistical data on pupils – daily, weekly, monthly, termly.

· Inventory of furniture and equipment

· Stock book

· Circular file

· Supervisory Schedule

· Text book inventory

· List of duties

· Annual report

· Misdemeanor book

· Exercise book distribution ledger

· Standard operational procedure

· Emergency/evacuation drill record

Statistical data on pupils – daily, weekly, monthly, termly

- Compiled on a daily basis and kept in an exercise book or ledger and on an attendance board.

- Care must be exercised to ensure that statistics are accurately recorded.

- Compiled on a weekly basis and kept in an exercise book or ledger.

INVENTORY OF FURNITURE AND EQUIPTMENT

- The inventory must reflect only permanent/non-consumable stocks: chair, table, chalkboard, radio, etc.

- The prescribed forms must be used in the compilation of inventories.

- In the terms of changes, the head teacher has the authority to add stock, never to subtract. Subtraction, the writing off of unserviceable stocks/articles is to be done only by a government appointed auditor.

- Unserviceable articles must not be disposed of unless written authorization is given by an auditor.

- Inventories are to be kept for the whole school and each department, division and year group.

- Teachers should keep class inventories; their class logs can be used for this purpose.

- Inventories for offices and resource room must also be kept.

- Internal periodical checks should be made of items on inventories against their actual existence.

- Whole school inventories or master inventories should be checked on an annual basis. Departmental, Divisional or year group inventories should be checked each term.

- A copy of whole school inventory must be forwarded to the department of education or board at the end of each academic year.

NB: Inventoried items must not be removed from the school premises/plant. However, should extenuating circumstances warrant the removal of any inventoried item, A record shall be made in the relevant log book indicating reason for the removal, by whom, and the custodian of item, staff member responsible for its safe keep, and the period during which it will off the plant.

STOCK BOOK

- Only consumable stock/articles are to be recorded therein: chalk, cardboard, paste, etc.

- All consumable articles are to be entered in this ledger which must be faithfully maintained.

- Wherever any article is issued to anyone he/she must immediately sign as having received the article.

CIRCULAR FILE

- Only circulars are kept therein.

- Circulars must be read, signed, and dated by each staff member.

- They are to be included in the induction/orientation package for all recruits since they provide information on the ministry’s policies on various professional, administrative, financial and other related matters.

- Circulars can be identified by the following:

· Circular No.

· Reference No.

· From:

· To:

· Date:

· Subject:

SUPERVISORY SCHEDULE

- Head teacher, deputy head teachers, senior masters/mistresses, head of departments,

Divisional/heads of year group must each have a supervisory schedule.

- Administrative staff must collaboratively prepare supervisory schedule

- Supervisors and supervisees must discuss the schedule prior to their implementation.

- Supervisory arrangement must be informed by the supervisory chart.

- Section three of the desk manuals must be used to inform the preparation

Of supervisory schedule.

- The supervisory head of year groups, divisions and department must be signed by the

Deputy Head Teacher or the most senior teacher in the absence of the Deputy

Head Teacher.

- The supervisory schedule of the deputy head teacher must be signed by the head teacher.

- The supervisory officer of the school has the responsibility of signing the head teacher’s supervisory schedule.

SCHOOL FEEDING RECORDS

- To be kept wherever a dietary programed is undertaken.

- Wherever milk and biscuits, canned fish, or hot meal are served, the school must faithfully kept records.

- For hot meals, the record must reflect:

· Date

· Number of children served

· Grades served

SALARY REGISTER

- Salary register must account for each staff member.

- It must be prepared on a monthly basis.

- The register must be signed and dated legibly by every staff member. This must be done even if the teacher is on secondment to another institution or department; or is his/her salary is paid directly into a bank account.

- Official receipts must be requested for refunds made to the central or regional accounting unit.

- All receipts for refunds and copies of authorization must be safely kept.

- Receipt number must be recorded in the salary register.

- Authorization must be signed to, buy two witnesses, and made in duplicate one to be to pay sheet and the other to the salary register.

TEXT BOOK INVENTORY

- All textbooks in the school must be accounted for.

- The inventory should be compiled as per subject area.

- An annual audit must be done of textbooks and a report made to the Head of Department of Education or School Board.

EXERCISE BOOK DISTRIBUTION LEDGER

- This ledger must be prepared, using the prescribed format, and maintained faithfully.

- Exercise books are to be distributed in accordance with the guidance issued from time to time by the ministry of education.

EMERGRNCY/EVAUATION DRILL RECORD

- Drill must be conducted on monthly basis.

- The whole school must be involved in each drill-all teachers and leaders.

- Each drill must recorded, using the prescribed format.

MISDEMEANOUR BOOK

- This record reflects wrongdoings by students/pupils which warrant disciplinary action by the school administration.

- Such offence must be reported to the head teacher who would rule on the type of disciplinary action to be administered.

- Entries must be made immediately after disciplinary action is administered/meted out.

- The disciplinary action to be administered must be informed by the provision of the

Manual on the maintenance of order and discipline in schools.

LIST OF DUTIES

Master List of Duties

· Reflects all to be performed by staff for the school to achieve its mission and

objective.

· This list could be prepared on either a termly basis.

· The standard operational procedures, work plan, calendar of events, desk manuals, orientation booklet, records and documents to be kept by school, and task analysis for teachers should serve as source documents for the preparation of the master list of duties.

ANNUAL REPORT

· This must be prepared at the end of each calendar year.

· Preparation of annual report is the responsibility of the administrative staff.

· The annual report is a document in which an assessment is made of the performance of an organization/unit in relation to targets set in its work plan for the year under review.

· At least two copies of the annual report must be made; one forwarded to the head of department of education or chairman of the school board and then other, which is retained by the school, must be signed and dated by each staff member.

CLASS RECORD

●Class Register

●CDIC Cards

●Record Of Work

●Lesson plan

●Class List

●Time tables

●Scheme of work/ consolidated curriculum

●Class log

LESSON PLAN

A lesson plan is that document which outlines the purpose, sequence, time period intended to make learning possible during instruction. The resource and evaluation are also indicated.

• · A lesson plan is taken from units of work listed in the termly scheme of work.

• · It is the responsibility of each teacher to prepare his/her lesson plan.

• · This record should be prepared in accordance with the time table, prior to entering the classroom.

• · The prescribed format must be used in the preparation of lesson plan.

• · Lesson plans must be submitted as directed by the school administration for checking and approval before they are used for instruction.

• · The member of staff who checks the plans must sign and date same. He/she must also state helpful comments, having checked the plan.

• · Each lesson taught must be evaluated.

CLASS LOG

Class log (nursery, primary, secondary)

· A log shall be kept for each class ( Nursery and Primary) and grade (Secondary)

· Each class log shall contain relevant bio and achievement data of every learner.

· Each log shall also serve as a class inventory.

Child Developmental Index Card

· These cards form a part of the system of continuous assessment in each school.

· A card must be kept for each child.

· All the information on each card must be filled in-the bio-data when the child commences attendance at school in a particular sector (nursery, primary or secondary); and the other sets of data to be completed on a termly basis.

· Each child’s card must be made available to his/her parent/guardian at the end of each term so that the parent or guardian is informed of the child’s progress.

· Any parent or guardian who wishes to discuss his child or wards progress with his/her class teacher, or the school administration, at a time mutually accepted to the parent and the school administration.

· The card for each child must be sent to the school in which he/she will be enrolled; be it on transfer, for completion of a cycle, or as a result of an award based on success at any external examination, CSEC, etc.

· The information on these cards must be treated with strict confidence. Teachers must make use of it to inform teaching-learning activities (be it at a class or individual level).

Records of Work

· Record of work must reflect work done, or explanations for not doing planned

Work.

· There must be a record of work for each grade ( or class within a grade) at the primary level, each year group at the nursery level, and for each subject at the secondary level.

· Entries must be precise, concise, in the past tense, and made at the end of each week; topics, subjects and examples should be included as far as possible.

· For primary and nursery schools, records of work must be checked and weekly by the divisional heads or year-group heads and endorsed by the head teacher, deputy head teacher or someone designated to do so.

· As far as possible, subject components must be pulled together on a content page.

· Entries should be recorded in the specific slots provided therein.

· Teachers attending the University of Guyana or the Cyril Potter College of Education must make entries on their last working day of each week.

· The term and week ending must be indicated.

TIME TABLE

· This is copied from the divisional/Departmental timetable and mounted on a wall in the particular classroom.

· Each student/pupil must be in possession of a copy of his/her class timetable.

· Teaching must be done in accordance with the provisions in the class timetable; any variation must be sanctioned by the head teacher.

PUPILS ATTENDANCE REGISTER

ANNUAL SCHEME/CONSOLIDATED CURRICULUM

The annual scheme of work is a plan which details work that will be done in an academic year, by subject and for a particular year group or grade.

The general scheme of work is the main source of document for the preparation of annual schemes of work.

The three terms of any academic year must be catered for.

It is a plan that must be prepared by each year group or grade teacher and approved by the school administration.

Preparation and approval of annual schemes of work must be done prior to the commencement of the year in which they will be used.

In the case of secondary schools, it is the responsibility of the head of department to ensure that the annual schemes of work are prepared for their particular subject area(s).

Head mistress Response and Class Teacher Response

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. What is your perspective in using records?

2. What is one purpose of records and documents at school?

3. Why are records important to the school?

ANSWERS

1. The whole school records are very important for the effective management of any school.

2. The records allow you to collect relevant data that will assist with making informative decisions as it relates to the overall school improvement and development.

3. A school is an institution that is run on daily events. Therefore, the records provide information on these events that will show a pattern over time and be used as evidence of development.

4. Records guides me of give me information or details on how, when and why things in the school are done.

5. It's a mean of accountability, helps to gather data and monitors progress.

6. It helps in decision making at all levels, helps in planning, monitors progress and behavior,