Social demand approach to educational planning
Educational planning is the application of rational, systematic analysis to the process of educational development with the aim of making of making education more effective and efficient in responding to the needs and goals of both students and the society. Therefore, this calls upon several approaches which help the educational planners in achieving the goals of planning in education. There are several approaches of educational planning which includes the following; social demand approach, manpower requirement approach, cost benefit analysis approach, and electic approach.
Social demand approach plays a key significant role in improving the educational planning. In Kenya the social demand approach will help the educational planners to make wise decision in designing proper plans for education. This method should be adapted in the entire country as compared to other many approaches. The social demand approach to educational planning highlights that, education has to be provided for every individual who is interested, qualified and express desire to acquire any type of level and schooling. In social demand approach the planning of education is manifested towards satisfying the demand of students and the aims of the parents for education. This approach would ensures that every citizen of a country is able to acquire education whichever of three level the learner is interested in. moreover this approach gears to ensure that education is planned to cater for public demand for school places. Social demand approach to educational planning, views education as a service which is demanded by everyone in the society just like any other public amenities such as hospitals, roads and water and electricity. Therefore, in this approach the planners and the government should focus on providing sufficient places in various levels of schooling such as primary levels, secondary level, colleges and universities.
Basically social demand approach can be recognized as traditional approach method of educational planning. For instance most countries deployed the use of this approach in provision of education in the region. most of the independent nation such as Nigeria encouraged the use of this approach in ensuring that every citizen is able to access education in every region in the country .the provision of free and compulsory education in the primary levels were of more of response to social demand rather than the response to the challenge of development.
The social demand approach has got a lot of advantages as compared to other approaches in shaping the planning of the education.
Advantages of social demand approach
Increases the level of literacy
In social demand approach, every individual in the society is able to acquire necessary skills required in various levels of work. Through provision of education in each level would help the individual to improve the capacity of necessary skills and adequate knowledge in performing various tasks in the society. This thus helps the individual to be creative and therefore the approach aids at improving the level of literacy.
Promote the national unity
Provision of education in every level of schooling helps in promoting national unity of the country. Through education, every citizen is much aware on importance of national unity. Interaction and communication among different people in the community will immensely plays a vital role in ensuring that peace and harmony is upheld in the community. The social demand approach helps in the equalization of the education to every citizen in the community.
Social demand approach ensures satisfaction of education needs.
Adesina (1991) observed that policy makers and government stakeholders find that the social demand approach is easy to defend since the philosophy of the approach is to provide necessary education to all. Planners should tend to provide education to all people in the society where it will be easy to make arrangements on the methods guiding in the provision of basic education to all people in the community.
More so, the social demand approach can guide the planners in allocation of resources. The planners are capable of determining the resources that are likely to be offered to various levels of education.
Social demand approach is suitable where there are limited resources. In situation where there are scarce resources the approach is best recognized to be used so as to ensure that everyone is able to get the required education.
Despite the fact that the social demand approach plays an important role in shaping the education, there are lots of probes and cons that would need more attention. Firstly, the social demand approach tends to overestimate popular demand and it underestimates the costs. Secondly, few countries especially developed countries are in position to afford the cost of providing to all people in the country. More so free education would lead to massive education in the country which would in turn lead to poor quality education .poor quality education would encourage poor delivery of services in the country. Lastly, the approach is not usually cost effective as it tends to require a large amount of allocation of money in national budget.
Conclusion
In conclusion, education is a fundamental right for all people who can help to ensure healthier, safer, more prosperous and environmentally sound world while at the same time it helps in promotion of social interaction amongst the individual in the society. Education also helps in improving the social, economic and political stability in the country. Education helps in improving the standards of living and thus boosting the economy of the country. Therefore, the planners of educational planning should consider the use of social demand approach because it will help every individual to acquire basic skills in every level of schooling.