TIMETABLE ANALYSIS: A TOOL FOR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

The school timetable is a powerful administrative tool. Ideally it should operationalise the aims and objectives of the school by providing an appropriate structural dimension to the curriculum. Stark reality may prevent this ideal relationship from being achieved. Another function served by the school timetable is its allocative role. It performs the important task of allocating a large proportion of the school's resources. The resources of teacher‐time, pupil‐time and room‐space have their use controlled directly by the timetable. The material resources of equipment and supplies, which are largely related to subjects taught, are indirectly controlled. Timetable analysis can therefore serve two purposes. It can reveal the reality of a school's curriculum organization. This reality may be intentional or unintentional. Secondly, it can show where a school allocates its resources, in particular the important ones of teacher‐time and room‐space. Information in these areas should enable school administrators to make better decisions on the school's educational programme and on resource allocation practices to achieve desired aims and objectives. This paper reports part of a study which used timetable analysis for these purposes. It shows the type of information which can be obtained by such analysis and argues that the quantitative and qualitative data provided can provide a more informed basis for decision making.