Managing for a quality education in Tonga : the role of planning

Abstract

Quality education has become a salient issue in the development of education across the world. Irrespective of the size of any country, there is still a great need for good quality management of the educational process so that quality education, in a given context, may be achieved. The role of planning in the management of education is indeed a crucial one. It involves the consideration of the choices and alternatives available in any given country and how best to achieve goals and objectives within that country's economic capability. As acknowledged by economists around the world, economic resources are scarce. Therefore, making choices is a crucial factor in planning. Better still, making the 'right' choices, in view of economic realities of a country is much more important, although in many instances, making the 'right' choice is a political matter altogether, which may be based on the ideological judgement of those few in power.