Kalpana Gopalan

Total Quality Management in Elementary Education: a Model for India & Emerging Economies Kalpana Gopalan

Is modern management relevant beyond the corporate boardrooms of developed economies? This book boldly attempts to marry Total Quality Management strategies to social sector initiatives in emerging economies. The challenges of Indian school education are diagnosed vis-a-vis TQM application in USA and UK. Is TQM adaptable as a generic model suitable to the diversity in Indian education & broad enough to encompass the multifarious needs for school reform? The book posits a model for TQM in schools, along with enabling conditions & possible pitfalls. TQM succeeds best as a local school based initiative. Based on field research in India,a detailed blueprint for reform is evolved,incorporating the TQM way of thinking with the major requirements for school improvement. These include: systemic thinking with the school as unit, a decentralized structure, teacher development, teamwork & collegiality, school-level leadership, community involvement, focus on learning processes and non-threatening assessment. The book summarizes its findings & recommendations in a must-have ready-reckoner for education administrators and social entrepreneurs in developing contexts.