About SBM

I. Why should we implement school-based management?

Over the past decades, education systems all over the world have been evolving from largely centralized structures to more decentralized ones. This has become the general trend in school management.

School-based Management is a management framework which is school-based, student-centred and quality-focused. Its purpose is to devolve the decisions on student learning and resource deployment to the school to enable it to make school-based policies which better meet the needs of students and enhance their learning outcomes.

III. Roles and responsibilities of the Education Bureau (EDB), School Sponsoring Bodies (SSBs) and Incorporated Management Committees (IMCs)

EDB 

Enforcing relevant legislation; developing policies and guidelines; setting targets and monitoring the standards of education services; allocating resources to schools; and serving as schools’ professional partner through the provision of support and advice. 

SSBs 

Setting the vision and mission of schools; giving general directions to IMCs in respect of school policy formulation; monitoring the performance of IMCs; and ensuring the accomplishment of mission through SSB managers. 

IMCs

Managing schools; formulating school policies in line with the vision and mission set by SSBs; undertaking the planning and management of finance, human resources, curriculum design and delivery, etc.; and answering to EDB and SSBs for the performance of schools.

IV. Key elements of school-based management

1. Defining responsibilities: Preparation of a constitution for the management committee of the school, setting out the composition of the management committee, the term of office of the managers, their roles and responsibilities, their nomination and election, the selection of school supervisor and office bearers, as well as the standing orders and procedures for participation of stakeholders in policy-making.
2. Widening participation: Giving stakeholders the chance to participate in school management, planning and development and in the evaluation of school effectiveness.
3. Developing professionalism: Development of formal procedures for staff appraisal and provision of resources for staff professional development according to teachers’ needs.
4. Setting goals: Setting school goals and preparing school profiles, and producing school development plans, school reports, school budgets and financial reports.
5. Evaluating effectiveness: Annual evaluation of the progress of school programmes and preparation of evaluation reports at the end of the school year for follow-up actions.
6. Developing characteristics: Displaying fully the spirit of school-based management by adopting flexibly a school-based model designed specifically according to the actual circumstances of the school, and developing a culture and characteristics unique to the school.

V. Governance framework of school-based management

The Government undertook to amend the Education Ordinance (Ordinance) to implement a participatory governance framework with transparency and accountability in aided schools. The amended Ordinance, which came into force on 1 January 2005, gives legal backing to the school-based management governance framework. It provides for the establishment of an IMC and sets out its composition, operation, functions and powers so that stakeholders can participate in school governance according to the law.

The composition of an IMC includes SSB managers, the principal (an ex-officio manager), elected teacher managers, elected parent managers, elected alumni manager(s) and independent manager(s). Furthermore, the Ordinance makes provisions for the constitution and operation of the IMC, the selection of the principal and the functions of the supervisor, etc. For information on the related provisions in the Ordinance and the implementation details, please refer to the reference materials in the EDB website.