Physical Resources Management

Physical Resources Management
Introduction
Schools have access to human, physical, and financial resources. Human resources are the
people that comprise the staff of the organization. This includes all the people who work to
ensure the school works smoothly on a daily basis, including administrators, teachers, teacher
assistants, school nurses, custodial workers, food service workers, office personnel, grounds
workers, transportation workers, volunteers, and anyone else who's involved in daily
operations.
Physical resources include any items the school currently owns. These include school
furniture, equipment, technology, curriculum materials, manipulatives, textbooks, and any
other materials within the school. Financial resources include cash and lines of credit. (Susan
G.from Study.com)
Physical resource management is a crucial aspect of the overall management of a school. The
Physical resources play a key role in the attainment of the school's intended objectives. A
direct correlation exists between quality of school facilities and process of acquiring learning
outcome.
Objectives of Physical Facilities Management
1. The primary function of educational facilities management is to provide the proper school
environment that is most conducive to effective teaching and learning.
2. Functional and effective educational facilities are developed, operated and managed on the
basis of a comprehensive plan of action of the school, prepared by all stakeholders in
education in the community.
3. It shall include sound educational facility planning and design process principles to:
a) maximize collaboration in school planning design,

b) build a proactive facility management program, and
c) plan schools as neighborhood-scaled communitylearning centers .
School Physical Resources
These are the tangible resources that can easily be seen and observed in any institution. The
physical resources include the structure, the machines, raw materials, vehicles, and other
tools, which can facilitate organizations activities and processes. According to English, F. W.
(2006) the physical resources in educational system would include:
1. School Environment
It should be located in a wholesome environment, safe from traffic and transportation

hazards, sufficiently free from noise, dust, smoke, and other undesirable elements. It also
should be provided with adequate facilities for drainage and sewage disposal. It should be
adequate to meet the needs of the present school population and its future expansion. The
school should be accessible to present and anticipated school population by means of public
transportation or school bus. It should have satisfactory road network and sidewalks.
2. Campus
It should be so planned that it would adequate for the intellectual, social, physical and
cultural interests of the Institution. It should be kept in good condition and physical
appearance.
3. Buildings
The buildings should be functionally designed and constructed of strong and durable
materials to withstand earthquakes, typhoons, and fire. Their design should be pleasing to the
eye and in conformity with the surroundings, and at the same time, imbued with proper
atmosphere conducive to learning. They should be satisfactorily planned so as to meet the
future expansion needs.
There should be wellplanned entrance and exit points to insure safe and convenient mobility
of the school population. Stairways and fire exits should be adequate and standard in size and
number and conveniently located. There should be no obstruction in corridors that would
impede the free flow of movement.
4. Classrooms
The size and number of classrooms should be sufficient to accommodate the student
population. Classrooms should be adequately equipped with the required furniture,
blackboards, and should have a pleasant atmosphere. Lighting, ventilation, general
appearance, and acoustics should be satisfactory.
5. Offices
Staff and Function Rooms Adequate provisions should be made for administrative offices,
faculty rooms, and reception areas, where needed.
6. Medical and Dental Clinic
A medical and dental clinic should be properly set up, strategically, well-ventilated and
lighted, screened and provided with clean water supply. It should be provided with basic
equipment, medical supplies , beds, cabinets and linens.
7. Student Center
A student Center is available where students can make wholesome interaction and listen to
good music, play table games, watch TV programs, etc.
8. Food Services Unit or Canteen
Clean and sanitary food services unit/canteen must be set-up and managed effectively. It
should serve balanced yet affordable meals and snacks to the school community.
School Physical Resources Maintenance and Management
School physical resource management has a direct impact on the learning environment and is
a key determinant of educational outcomes. It is therefore critical that school physical
resource management practices align with the school improvement plan by linking school
assets to basic education service delivery standards and strategies. Facility maintenance
entails providing clean and safe environment for teaching and learning. It also involves
provision of adequate facilities for teaching and learning.
According to Asabiaka (2008) the following type of controlling and maintenance in

management should be adopted in the facility maintenance plan. There are:
1. Preventive Control
This is a type of maintenance carried out on school facilities to avoid breakdown and
ensure optimal performance of the facility. Up to date information about the facility is
required to serve as a guide for the maintenance team. Preventive maintenance saves
cost and time. It is usually an integral part of the management practice in societies
where maintenance culture is well established. Decisions on preventive maintenance
are collectively made and implemented.
2. Routine Maintenance
This is carried out periodically as scheduled by the school managers. Facilities may be
serviced monthly, quarterly or even annually depending on the agreed schedule.
Manufacturers guide provide information on the nature and maintenance intervals.
School managers comply with these guides to avoid breakdown of the equipment.
3. Emergency Repairs
This is very common in the management of school facilities in societies where
maintenance culture is not well established. It takes place when a facility breaks down
and urgent measures or steps had to be taken to remedy the situation. In this regard,
collective decision-making may not be possible because there may be limited time to
bring together all the necessary individuals to make decisions.
It is also expensive because due to lack of maintenance, the extent of damage may
demand total replacement of the facility or high cost of repair. In some cases, the
breakdown may cause injury or even death to staff and or students of the school. The
resultant effect may be high insurance premium or prevent the use of the facility for
teaching and learning until repair had been effected. School managers should
proactively develop and implement facilities management plan for addressing facility
needs.
4. Predictive Control
This involves the use of computer software’s to predict equipment failure based on
age, user demand and performance measures.
References
Asabiaka,I.P, I.P, (2008). The need for effective facilities Management in Schools in
Nigeria.NewYork Science journal: ISSN1554-2000:1(21). ). Retrieved from:
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED578024.pdf
Susan G. “School Administrator”, “acquiring allocation managing resources in education”,

Retrieved from : https://study.com/academy/lesson/acquiring-allocating-managing-
resources-in-education.html
English, F. W. (2006). School Plant Management. California: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Physical Plan and Facilities. (n.d.). Retrieved from:
http://www.usep.edu.ph/Apps/UAC/images/downloadabl
e%20files/SSIR/Area%208%20Self- Survey%20Instrument.pdf
Usman, Y.D. (2014). The impact of instructional supervision on academic performance of

secondary school students in Nasarawa state, Nigeria: Unpublished M.Ed thesis,
School of Education, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). Retrieved from:
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED578024.pdf

Physical Resources Management

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Physical Resources Management

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Physical Resources Management

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Physical Resources Management

Objectives of Physical Facilities Management

a) maximize collaboration in school planning design,

c) plan schools as neighborhood-scaled communitylearning centers .

School Physical Resources

It should be located in a wholesome environment, safe from traffic and transportation

6. Medical and Dental Clinic

8. Food Services Unit or Canteen

School Physical Resources Maintenance and Management

According to Asabiaka (2008) the following type of controlling and maintenance in

Susan G. “School Administrator”, “acquiring allocation managing resources in education”,

English, F. W. (2006). School Plant Management. California: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Usman, Y.D. (2014). The impact of instructional supervision on academic performance of

You might also like