International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, Volume 4, Issue 11, November-2013 123 ISSN 2229-5518 SOMALIA EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN EDUCATION Abdikadir Issa Farah ATLANTIC INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY HONOLULU, HAWII, US ABSTRACT This research paper comprises of primary and secondary data. It investigates weakness and strengthens of educational institutions in Somalia. The primary purpose of the paper is to give information practitioners of education particularly those in Somalia to improve the quality of education; and to know how suppliers of education in Somalia apply TQM in education in their institutions. Total Quality management is a business approach designed for customer satisfaction and this paper examines how education suppliers in Somalia satisfied the requirement of their customers. Interviews with teachers, students, school principals and administrators of universities and also some parents and searched websites and other educational sources that could be found education data of Somalia all indicate the need for application TQM approach in educational institutions in Somalia. Although this report was academic research but includes important references and information about Somalia education that would be useful for the scholars and supporters of education. KEYWORDS: Total Quality, Management, Educational institutions, improvement, Quality assurance, Quality control, Inspection IJSER IJSER © 2013 http://www.ijser.org International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, Volume 4, Issue 11, November-2013 124 ISSN 2229-5518 1.0 INTRODUCTION users/customers (parents and Whenever goods or services are community as whole). produced, the organizations or In this paper I want to discuss total institutions that supply them quality management (TQM) and why endeavor to satisfy requirements of this business management approach customers and achieve specific goal is very important to apply education. of their own. Some organizations or Then, I will evaluate the quality of institutions fail before they educational institutions in Somali. accomplish the end target of their The paper will present current activities. This is because their situation of schools and universities product is different from the real in Somalia. desires of customers and their 2.0 WHY QUALITY IMPROVEMENT supplies are lacking the principles of IS VERY IMPORTANT IN quality management. Researches EDUCATION? and experiments conducted show It is not easy to give the word that organizations and institutions “quality” specific definition that cannot that focus on both suppliers and be changed because what someone customers are more profitable than knows quality is another person’s those consider only to supply poor. But there are accepted customers what they designed standards to measure quality. For themselves without consultation the example, if we want to know the customers. In modern management quality of learning center, we look at approaches such as total quality teacher qualification, enrolment data, management, the organization is both dropout data, site tidy and safety of customer andIJSER supplier. This concept school ground, pedagogy, supports effectual and effective tasks inclusiveness and teacher-student in which all are involved and interaction, etc. participated in decisions of designing Edward Sallis says that there are four and developing product before quality imperatives in education (the presented to the end users. moral imperative, the professional Education is a service that imperative, the competitive governmental and non-governmental imperative and accountability entities provide to the people to imperative) and the 3rd edition of produce result that will benefit to the Edward Sallis explains the thought as society wide. So, education follows: institutions should change “The moral imperative-The management practices and teaching customers and clients of the methodologies that have proved education service (students, parents unsuccessful and apply to new and the community) deserve the best inventions. This provision of service possible quality of education. This is (education) needs quality process the moral high ground in education (teachers and students) to produce and one of the few areas of quality supply to satisfy end educational discussion where there is IJSER © 2013 http://www.ijser.org International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, Volume 4, Issue 11, November-2013 125 ISSN 2229-5518 little dissent. It is the duty of most effective means of facing the educational professionals and competition and surviving. administrators to have an overriding The accountability imperative- concern to provide the very best Schools and colleges are part of their possible educational opportunities. communities and as such they must The professional imperative- meet the political demands for Closely linked to the moral imperative education to be more accountable is the professional imperative. and publicly demonstrate the high Professionalism implies a standards. TQM supports the commitment to the needs of students accountability imperative by and an obligation to meet their needs promoting objective and measurable by employing the most appropriate outcomes of the educational process pedagogic practices. Educators have and provides mechanisms for quality a professional duty to improve the improvement. Quality improvement quality of education and this, of becomes increasingly important as course, places a considerable burden institutions achieve greater control on teachers and administrators to over their own affairs. Greater ensure that both classroom practice freedom has to be matched by and the management of the institution greater accountability. Institutions are operating to the highest possible have to demonstrate that they are standards. able to deliver what is required of The competitive imperative- them. Failure to meet even one of Competition is a reality in the world of these imperatives can jeopardize education. Falling enrolments can institutional well-being and survival. If lead to staff redundanciesIJSER and institutions fail to provide the best ultimately the viability of the institution services they risk losing students who can be under threat. Educationalists will opt for one of their competitors. can meet the challenge of By regarding these drivers as competition by working to improve anything less than imperatives we the quality of their service and of their risk the integrity of our profession and curriculum delivery mechanisms. The the future of our institutions. We are importance of TQM to survival is that in an era where parents and it is a customer-driven process, politicians are asking tough and focusing on the needs of clients and uncompromising questions. For providing mechanisms to respond to education as for industry, quality their needs and wants. improvement is no longer an option, it Competition requires strategies that is a necessity”1. clearly differentiate institutions from 2.1 WHAT IS TOTAL QUALITY their competitors. Quality may MANAGEMENT? sometimes be the only differentiating factor for an institution. Focusing on the needs of the customer, which is 1 at the heart of quality, is one of the Edward Sallis, Total Quality Management in Education, Third edition, Pages 3 and 4 IJSER © 2013 http://www.ijser.org International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, Volume 4, Issue 11, November-2013 126 ISSN 2229-5518 A business management theory and regulations for solving problems developed by Japanese in 1940’s and building teamwork, all of which and 1950’s but later modified by promotes long-term improvement. Americans (Feigenbum, Juran and These standards and principles can Deming) who set foundation of TQM. be used in education system in order (Mark Loughlin -2 0 0 8) says that to attain an incessant enhancement. “the evolution of TQM happened in a “A total quality approach to running few stages easily identified as our schools is necessary for the Inspection, Quality Control, Quality following reasons: 1) We live in an Assurance and now Total Quality extremely dynamic world with Management”. The approach depleting resources. Since schools encourages including all suppliers have to equip learners to function to and customers into the design and their fullest potential in such an development activities of the environment, then the schools business to produce goods and themselves must be dynamic and services that satisfy the requirements flexible. 2) The expectations of of all sides. students, industry, parents, and the “Total quality management can be public in general vis à vis educational summarized as a management priorities, costs, accessibility, system for a customer-focused programs, and relevancy, make it organization that involves all imperative for schools to undergo employees in continual improvement. continual assessment and It uses strategy, data, and effective improvement. 3) Economic conditions communications to integrate the have created greater concern about quality discipline into the culture and economic well-being and career IJSER2 activities of the organization” flexibility. Schools have to respond to 2.2 WHY TOTAL QUALITY this real fear of career obsolescence MANAGEMENT IS IMPORTANT TO and career inadequacy. 4) Funding APPLY EDUCATION? resources for education are Since TQM organization suppliers diminishing at a rapid rate. Schools and customers is involved in have to find innovative ways of decisions of designing and cutting