Mission Statements


The school environment in many countries is continually being made business-like. One of the features of this business-like environment is the adoption by schools of mission statements. These statements are terse pronouncements as to the goal of these organisations. Even individual managers within the school seem to have seen it fit to create their own mission statements. I met one individual who was just taking up a position as canteen manager of a school. She proudly showed me her mission statement and passionately explained its importance to her and its application to her new role. So these statements seem to, or ought to, give direction to those who take them seriously.

To what extent do schools seriously take mission statements? It depends on the commitment of the leadership of each school. For the effect of these mission statements to be felt by the stakeholders of schools, the leadership of the school must be committed to them.

I perceive that many schools adopt mission statements because of a directive from government, not because of any deep-seated conviction about their efficacy one way or the other.  Take a mission statement which speaks to the provision of quality education to students in an environment which fosters respect for all, a commitment to service and an emphasis on diligence of all to ensure that students will be able to positively contribute to their society, for example. This mission statement is the broad goal of the school – the administration, all the categories of workers and students – which adopts such a mission statement.

However, one may visit or make contact with such a school and come to the realisation that the school is operating counter to its mission statement in every way. That is, there is no demonstrable respect being evinced by administration to staff, by staff to administration, by staff to each other, by students to each other, by students to staff and vice versa and by administration and staff to some external stakeholders. One may also come to the realisation, therefore, that there is very little “commitment to service” and also, based on the overall performance of the school (the school achieving its goal), that the emphasis on diligence has been de-emphasised. To what extent, then, are the administration and staff” positively contributing to society” and to what extent will students be able to “positively contribute to society”?

Mission statements are becoming a feature of the educational landscape. However to give effect to them the leadership, having drafted them, must be committed to them and there should be an attempt by this leadership, by example, to re-socialise the school community into internalising the tenets of these statements.

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