Comments on: Parents and Children as Customers - an outward facing public service http://edubuzz.org/blogs/donsblog/2007/11/24/parents-and-children-as-customers-an-outward-facing-public-service/ "We learn from our experience.....if we reflect upon our experience" John Dewey Tue, 02 Dec 2008 06:00:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: bill http://edubuzz.org/blogs/donsblog/2007/11/24/parents-and-children-as-customers-an-outward-facing-public-service/#comment-9271 bill Sun, 25 Nov 2007 09:17:49 +0000 http://edubuzz.org/blogs/donsblog/2007/11/24/parents-and-children-as-customers-an-outward-facing-public-service/#comment-9271 While at University as a mature student. I was acutely aware of the University's marketing drive to be seen as corporate and business structured. However sadly it seemed to forget that the students were the customers/client and often failed to deliver the corporate ideal. It seemed to us as students,the timetables were built around Lecturers and Professor's research needs and conferences with the lectures were secondary. We often had several lectures cancelled in a row as a result as a lecturers opportunity to attend a research forum or conference. Anyway my point being that educators and staff have personal needs and I agree that the balance is difficult to achieve. I guess it's a capability - capacity dilemma in the above case. I think we have to be careful not to promise( i.e. portray the impression that we consider our parents and pupils as the only customers) what we may not be able to deliver. Yes we need to look outwards but not forget that the barriers to success lie within. As for the semantics/metaphors -Perhaps we are all consumers (parents, teachers, support staff, pupils..)in the education arena or marketplace as opposed to customers? and like product manufacturers we need more market research(internal + external) to develop our product of education. While at University as a mature student. I was acutely aware of the University’s marketing drive to be seen as corporate and business structured. However sadly it seemed to forget that the students were the customers/client and often failed to deliver the corporate ideal. It seemed to us as students,the timetables were built around Lecturers and Professor’s research needs and conferences with the lectures were secondary. We often had several lectures cancelled in a row as a result as a lecturers opportunity to attend a research forum or conference. Anyway my point being that educators and staff have personal needs and I agree that the balance is difficult to achieve. I guess it’s a capability - capacity dilemma in the above case. I think we have to be careful not to promise( i.e. portray the impression that we consider our parents and pupils as the only customers) what we may not be able to deliver. Yes we need to look outwards but not forget that the barriers to success lie within.

As for the semantics/metaphors -Perhaps we are all consumers (parents, teachers, support staff, pupils..)in the education arena or marketplace as opposed to customers? and like product manufacturers we need more market research(internal + external) to develop our product of education.

]]> By: Don Ledingham http://edubuzz.org/blogs/donsblog/2007/11/24/parents-and-children-as-customers-an-outward-facing-public-service/#comment-9264 Don Ledingham Sat, 24 Nov 2007 16:10:54 +0000 http://edubuzz.org/blogs/donsblog/2007/11/24/parents-and-children-as-customers-an-outward-facing-public-service/#comment-9264 Andrea Thanks - I totally agree with the concept of vocation. However, I still think it's possible to have a very outward facing service without it impinging upon our life outside work. It's a state of mind which needs to underpin everything you do - not something that switches on and off in response to "How Good is Our School?". It's so very easy for all of us to face "inwards" - in fact I'd suggest that it's the natural state. That's not to say that we don't need to care for each other or the staff whom we might lead - but just that we are there to serve others, not ourselves - which is how it sometimes seems to children and parents. I can't stop that pupil's words from ringing in my head "by teachers, for teachers". What a place we could create if every pupil in a school was to say - "they look at things through our eyes, and make it better" - sounds a bit like your school! Andrea

Thanks - I totally agree with the concept of vocation. However, I still think it’s possible to have a very outward facing service without it impinging upon our life outside work. It’s a state of mind which needs to underpin everything you do - not something that switches on and off in response to “How Good is Our School?”.

It’s so very easy for all of us to face “inwards” - in fact I’d suggest that it’s the natural state. That’s not to say that we don’t need to care for each other or the staff whom we might lead - but just that we are there to serve others, not ourselves - which is how it sometimes seems to children and parents. I can’t stop that pupil’s words from ringing in my head “by teachers, for teachers”.

What a place we could create if every pupil in a school was to say - “they look at things through our eyes, and make it better” - sounds a bit like your school!

]]> By: Andrea Reid http://edubuzz.org/blogs/donsblog/2007/11/24/parents-and-children-as-customers-an-outward-facing-public-service/#comment-9263 Andrea Reid Sat, 24 Nov 2007 14:54:29 +0000 http://edubuzz.org/blogs/donsblog/2007/11/24/parents-and-children-as-customers-an-outward-facing-public-service/#comment-9263 That's sounding like you've sorted out the semantics! I wholeheartedly agree that service and duty are the key to this with a very specific mind set which looks outwards. That's not easy though... and at times we also have to remember that the sacrificing of personal needs to do this is something which everyone is at a different stage of. For many the work life balance that is required can become impossible to maintain to serve at that level. I think there's a fundamental question here about how we "sell" the teaching profession to those entering it. When did you last hear someone describe it as a vocation? There's been a loss here I think over years of how we percieve the privilege of the job we undertake. Here's a little link Don about where I work. http://www.rm.com/generic.asp?cref=GP1057462 That’s sounding like you’ve sorted out the semantics! I wholeheartedly agree that service and duty are the key to this with a very specific mind set which looks outwards. That’s not easy though… and at times we also have to remember that the sacrificing of personal needs to do this is something which everyone is at a different stage of. For many the work life balance that is required can become impossible to maintain to serve at that level. I think there’s a fundamental question here about how we “sell” the teaching profession to those entering it. When did you last hear someone describe it as a vocation? There’s been a loss here I think over years of how we percieve the privilege of the job we undertake.
Here’s a little link Don about where I work.

http://www.rm.com/generic.asp?cref=GP1057462

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