HOW SCHOOLS CAN UTILIZE THE ‘ ROOTS ’ FRAMEWORK FOR OVERCOMING THE CHALLENGES OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
BY : MURAD SALMAN MIRZA
The dynamics of the digital age impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a profound challenge for educational institutions , especially , those facing the dire prospect of being marginalized by astute competitors who are incessantly nibbling at their previously secure and dominant market positions . This has especially been a rude awakening for those that had developed their risk management plans according to ‘ normal / foreseen ’ academic cycles . Consequently , several schools have either been closed , sought strategic partnerships within the educational ecosystem , or merged with bigger rivals in a desperate bid to stay open .
Additionally , the primal instinct of survival has come to dominate the majority of recent leadership thinking as innovative solutions are being frantically sought for grappling with the reality of increased fickleness from parents who have been jolted / shaken by the experiences of living through a period of extreme uncertainty on a personal and professional level . This has manifested in several tough choices for beleaguered parents , e . g ., transferring children to cheaper schools , seeking tutors offering remote learning options for overcoming skill deficiencies exacerbated in an isolated environment during lockdowns , preferring homeschooling to avoid extra burden on the home budget , etc . However , such desperate attempts to salvage the learning imperatives for the students also have negative consequences , e . g ., children separated from their friends and familiar social networks while being forced to adjust accordingly , increased ‘ screen time ’ leading to health and wellbeing concerns , limited availability of parents for hybrid learning initiatives as they juggle domestic commitments with their professional responsibilities , etc .
Consequently , the following ‘ ROOTS ’ framework is being presented for enabling schools to provide a viable path for forming durable relationships with key stakeholders to sustain their relevancy and competitiveness in an educational landscape that is still in ‘ recovery mode ’ from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic :
Recognize ( R )
This refers to achieving a sound realization of the challenges being faced by the educational institution through the deployment of suitable formal / informal means and leveraging technology to extract meaningful / beneficial information to facilitate astute decision-making . It requires leadership that is comfortable in its own skin and not hesitant to point a finger at itself for strategic failures and is willing to take responsibility for assuring and ensuring appropriate remedial actions in the larger interest of the organization . It entails an honest self-reflection and an unbiased comprehensive review of the statusquo to magnanimously embrace and meticulously implement the elements of change under the guidance of a galvanizing leadership that serves as a role model for the rest of the organizational hierarchy . This calls for the firm bonding of the 3Cs ( Courage , Commitment & Conscientiousness ) in leaders tackling stressful situations during periods of economic uncertainty driven by the COVID-19 pandemic .
Organize ( O )
This refers to streamlining current policies / practices / processes in a way that enables the educational institution to pivot seamlessly to the ‘ new ’ reality of offering its services in a fluctuating market . It requires the opening of communication channels at all levels of the organization for soliciting innovative solutions . Such an invitation inevitably creates a strong ‘ buy-in ’ from the workforce who will feel ‘ closer ’ to the leadership due to the strengthening of the ‘ psychological contract ’ in terms of having a ‘ say ’ in the achievement of the strategic imperatives of the organization . The change of mindset from ‘ us against them ’ to ‘ we are all in it together ’ can usher in freshness of ideas / approaches / initiatives that have a higher probability of success in turbulent times , rather than , banking on the ‘ confined ’ wisdom of the upper echelon of the management
14 Term 2 Jan - Mar 2022
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