(1) Educational Planning:

Educational planning means the process of setting out in advance a pattern of action to bring about overall changes as viewed by national policies by the closest possible articulation of means and ends. According to Hagman and Schwartz, “Planning selects from among alternatives, explores routes before travel begins and identifies possible or probable outcomes of action before the executive and his organization is committed to any.”

Education planning has been one of the early instruments of independent governments. Resources have to be used as effectively and systematically as possible. Educational planning is a process utilised by an administrator while performing the role of a leader, decision-maker, change-agent and so on.

It is a basic management task. It is a means of achieving higher levels of effectiveness. Its uniqueness lies in its future-orientation or anticipation made. A considerable amount of pressure from both the donors of aids and international organizations made adoption of some form of planning unavoidable.

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Today, educational planning is an absolute requirement. The complexities of modern technology in society have given rise to the need for planning in education. Increasing populations, manpower needs, ecology, decreasing natural resources and haphazard application of scientific developments require educational planning.

To meet these problems, educational planning becomes a necessity and planning competence becomes mandatory. It is unavoidable for bringing about a desirable change in the educational organization for promoting the organizational health-its effectiveness and functional efficiency. UNESCO and the World Bank become early promoters of a functional educational planning mechanism as a condition of external assistance.

Characteristics of Educational Planning: The following are the main characteristics of educational planning:

(1) Cooperation:

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Modern educational planning emphasises involvement 0f representatives of most of the concerned sectors of the society in the process of planning.

(2) Remedial Measure:

Identifying cause of the educational problems and suggesting relevant solution is the main objective of educational planning. Another characteristics of modern educational planning is that it is remedial and guidance- oriented.

(3) Choice of Best Alternative:

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Modern educational planning is a logical systematic and scientific process different from the elementary kinds of procedure utilised in the past of bringing about changes in the systems of education.

(4) Team Work:

A team of experts, responsible people and those who are to implement the plan should determine the goals and appropriate ways of attaining them. Modern educational planning emphasises that only the top administrator or the government should be involved in planning. Planning should be a responsibility of ail people concerned with the desired change.

(5) Social and Economic Goals:

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The expected goals of the society and needs of children and young pupils in the schools and colleges should be the broad fame of reference. Modern educational planning emphasises that the goals of a democratic society should be social and economic concerned with the welfare and progress of all citizens rather than the selfish goals of some special interest groups.

(6) Scientific Changes:

Modern educational planning carefully and objectively collects data, interprets and analyses interrelationships between present and future needs. It also interprets and analysis inter-relatedness of the various components of the social and educational system.

(7) Anticipation:

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Modern educational planning requires developments and needs change in future, must ahead of time so as proper facilities, supporting media and required resources for implementing the planned change may be secured.