Accountability in governance ensures actions and decisions taken by public officials are

subject to oversight so as to guarantee that government initiatives meet their stated

objectives and respond to the needs of the community they are meant to be benefiting,

thereby contributing to better governance and poverty reduction. Accountability is one of the

cornerstones of good governance; however, it can be difficult for scholars and practitioners

alike to navigate the myriad of different types of accountability. Recently, there has been a

growing discussion within both the academic and development communities about the

different accountability typologies.

What is Accountability? The notion of accountability is an amorphous concept that is difficult

to define in precise terms. However, broadly speaking, accountability exists when there is a

relationship where an individual or body, and the performance of tasks or functions by that

individual or body, are subject to another’s oversight, direction or request that they provide

information or justification for their actions. Therefore, the concept of accountability involves

two distinct stages: answerability and enforcement. Answerability refers to the obligation of

the government, its agencies and public officials to provide information about their decisions

and actions and to justify them to the public and those institutions of accountability tasked

Accountability is important to governance especially in school these days. Evaluating the

ongoing effectiveness of public officials or teachers ensures that they are performing to their

full potential, providing value for money in the provision of public services, instilling

confidence in the government and being responsive to the community they are meant to be

serving.

The concept of accountability can be classified according to the type of accountability

exercised and/ or the person, group or institution the public official answers to. The present

debate as to the content of different forms of accountability is best conceptualized by

reference to opposing forms of accountability. As such the main forms of accountability are

described below in reference to their opposing, or alternate, concept.

This set of notes does not pretend to be exhaustive or definitive. It is mostly my personal

opinion, and it explores what I think are the most important dimensions of school leadership:

forming and explaining the school's mission; handling significant questions and problems;

using one's leadership to serve the government, parents, teachers, students, and the

community at large. Each of the topics, as well as others left undiscussed, could have been

expanded considerably. Instead of delving into detailed explanations, I have chosen instead

to highlight what is most important and essential to the headmaster's job of service to the

school.

I am currently teaching in SK Sungai Anak, Ulu Balingian, Selangau. The school is 89

kilometres from Selangau town and it is a small school that consist of 71 pupils and 21

staffs. This is my fifth years teaching in this school. My beloved headmaster is Mr. Lim bin

Hock. He is 59 years old man from Dalat, Mukah. He has been in service for almost 40

years.

As the head of department of the school corporation, the headmaster is the institution's most

important figure. His is a challenging, often difficult job, one calling forth the full exercise of

his powers and skills, his patience, his spiritual strength, and his dedication. At the same

time, his work is immensely rewarding. Very few lines of professional work offer so much

opportunity for doing good, a means of profoundly influencing the lifelong welfare of parents,

children, teachers, and friends of the school.

Mr. Lim has fairly extensive experience with education, at least teaching in the classroom.

And because he serves in so many ways as a connector to the world outside the school, he

should also has, some professional experience in a field outside of education. He must be

well organized and practical as well as energetic, for the job is extremely demanding.

A school tends to rise or fall on the personality and competence of the headmaster. Because

a school, any school, has many centrifugal forces at work all the time—an inherent tendency

to spin off into chaos—the headmaster must have, above all, a strong sense of self-

confidence and a clear, compelling sense of mission. He holds the whole complex operation

together, gives it coherence and direction, and this he must do continually.

His main function is really to teach but due to various changes in our education department

lately, his main function or any headmasters or principles are no longer teaching but to

manage the school as a manager. He constantly instructs or reminds people—parents,

teachers, students, prospects for enrolment, the general public—what the school stands for,

what it is trying to accomplish, and how people's present sacrificial efforts fit into that long-

term strategy. In short, his main job is to get out in front of the whole enterprise and lead

others to join him—for a real leader has joiners, not followers. He therefore, hold a

thoroughly well thought out understanding of the school's reason for being and an ability to

articulate this concept attractively, even inspiringly, to the school's constituent groups. His

confident decisiveness is important to everyone.

I believe in the current situation, Mr. Lim is more of a chief manager of a complex business

organization. Consequently he has to be competent to handle matters of budgets, finances,

legal requirements, and job-performance evaluations. If he is deficient in one or more of

these areas (and nearly everyone is), he usually ask the officer in charge of the areas in our

education district office or the staff at school who is in charge of the task to assist him and

then let them do their jobs. As one of the qualities of a sound professional is knowing on how

to use the supportive skills of other professionals.

In my five years’ service with Mr. Lim, he has shown the responsibility to direct his teachers

clearly and professionally, correct them where necessary and generally oversee the quality

of their performance. Because of his soft spoken or fatherly personalities, some staff does

not take him seriously and tend to defy him but with his experience and professionalism, he

managed to tackle the situation.

His is, no doubt, a very tough and demanding job. The headmaster needs a number of

personal traits, some of them so opposed to each other as to appear rarely in one person.

For instance, he should have: energy and initiative, as well as patience strategic vision, as

well as attention to detail self-confidence, as well as willingness to listen and to admit

mistakes a flair for systems management, as well as creative enterprise gracious tact, as

well as the ability to say no compassionate understanding, as well as a thick skin. When

anyone approaches him with a grievance or other problem, he must be willing and able to

act promptly; within two days, he should either take corrective action or provide the person

with a reasonable explanation. He may not, in any event, let a problem remain unresolved

and unexplained. Everyone with a grievance deserves either action or an explanation, and to

provide this is his job. He is an executive, and an executive's job is to execute, to make

things happen.

It is important for the headmaster to help everyone understand that "formation" of children

does not take place just through talks: group lectures, classes, homilies, personal

conversations with one's advisor. Most of the actual formation in character-strengths

(virtues) takes place in what the children are led to do—that is, in classroom work and

deportment, taking tests, doing home assignments, working on projects, playing sports, and

the everyday dealings with teachers and other students. In other words, the school's whole

environment is formational. How the children are led to work and play will affect most of the

changes in mind, will, and heart. In this context, the "talk" part of formation just explains to

the children the reasons behind what they see and do.

Someone wise once said: "An education is what you have left over after you've forgotten the

material." Many schools today have lost sight of this truth. They see schooling as mostly

information-transfer or skill development or (oddly) "growing in touch with one's feelings."

Our school, on the other hand, seeks to impart a set of attitudes and habits permanently in

the minds and wills of the children—and this through example, directed and repeated

practice, and convincing explanation.

But above all, even when involved with day-to-day administrative details, his core

responsibility is to articulate and remind everyone of the school's mission, its reason for

being. Everything the school does must derive from this vision of the school's service. The

teachers and students, the program of studies, the support services delivered to parents, the

athletics and co-curricular activities, the selection of books and materials, the ease with

which he and others can explain the school to prospects everything derives from the

headmaster's clear, focused explanation of the school's mission.

Here, in outline form, is a description of what Mr. Lim as a headmaster does—those critically

important tasks for which he takes responsibility and over which, therefore, he must exercise

authority.

Even a casual glance at the daunting list below reveals that no one person can handle all of

these tasks unaided. The headmaster must depend on his management team and delegate

many of the jobs to his competent subordinates. Nonetheless, he usually diligently supervise

these other people's work, for their competent fulfilment of each task is his responsibility. As

the business maxim puts it, an executive delegates authority but not responsibility.

Organization - Creates and cultivates a strong management team. The headmaster is to

share and delegate to his immediate subordinates in such a way that this group is prepared

to lead the school collectively should the headmaster suddenly become incapacitated. As

our headmaster, Mr. Lim has sets up an internal organization that permits effective

communication, up and down.

Planning and Analysis - Develops tactical plans with the help of key members of the

management team. Together they undertake studies of pertinent data (financial, enrollment,

academic performance, etc.) to facilitate such plans. Encourages "outside perspective" via

testings, comparisons with similar institutions. Programs Designs, implements, and

administers student programs and services and develops systems of scheduling to

accommodate these. He also sets standards of participation and achievement in each

category: academic, co-curricular, character development, student life.

Personnel - Defines the teaching and non-teaching positions needed to carry out the

school's programs, and selects and employs competent personnel to fill these positions. He

also needs to administer equitable systems of compensation, working conditions, training,

and development for all school employees. Determines standards and takes appropriate

steps to measure and maintain reasonable performance and professional growth among

immediate subordinates and, through them, all employees. He dismisses those who fail to

meet the standards. In my opinion, Mr. Lim were able to establishes practices and

procedures to promote harmonious and constructive relationships among all personnel.

Maintains contact with employees (all of them, if size permits) to foster good relations,

promote high morale, and identify personnel problems as early as possible. And he

encourages similar contact on the part of subordinates. Approves and administers rules and

procedures governing the student body. He also promotes harmonious and constructive

relationships among parents, students, faculty, and administrators. Strives to set up and

maintain an attractive environment that is compatible with the character of the institution.

Finances - Presents financial plans and annual budgets achieve the objectives of the school.

As a headmaster, maintains a system of cost control to foster efficiency consistent with high

standards of education and the limitations of the budget. Manages a cost-effective system of

purchasing, and accounting is also demanded from him. Recommends enrollment objectives

with respect to student numbers, character, and quality—and executes programs to achieve

them.

Public Relations - Encourages significant alumni, parent, and past-parent participation in

events that support the goals of the school. Mr. Lim always works to maintain programs that

contribute to relations with the local community. He needs to maintain cordial and

constructive liaison with other educational institutions (including universities) and

associations. Interprets the school and its programs to the public and strives to become the

personification of the institution. As a headmaster, he acts as spokesman for the school.

Plant Management - Supervises the operation and maintenance of all school facilities. Within

budget limits, approves expenditures for operation and maintenance. He recommends

changes or additions necessary to implement student programs or to maintain desired

standards of appearance and safety.

And what is the essence of a headmaster's service? I think it is to give ongoing

encouragement. Napoleon Bonaparte once said, quite rightly, "A leader is a dealer in hope."

A headmaster serves his people by forming within himself a clear, hopeful and compelling

mission to his life's work, a heartfelt dedication to the welfare of his people, and then he gets

everyone to join him in that collective adventure.

Reference:

Bovens, M. 2005. “Public Accountability.” In Ferlie, Ewan. Laurence E. Lynn, Jr. & Christopher Pollitt

(eds). The Oxford Handbook of Public Management. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Bovens, M. 2006. Analysing and Assessing Public Accountability: A Conceptual Framework. European

Governance Papers No. C-06-01

Cavill, S. & M. Sohail. 2004. “Strengthening Accountability for Urban Services.” Environment and

Urbanization: 16(1).

Goetz, A.M. & R. Jenkins. 2001. “Hybrid Forms of Accountability: Citizen Engagement in Institutions

of PublicSector Oversight in India.” Public Management Review: 3(3)

www.repository.um.edu.my/11329/1/EJEFAS_31_12.pdf

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