Quality Circles in schools

Lal Fonseka - Productivity Consultant, Brandix Lanka Limited

In Sri Lanka, a few schools in Colombo are getting ready to participate in the '14th International Convention on Students' Quality Control Circles (ICSQCC 2011) organised by CMS in Lucknow India, in December 2011. This is not the first occasion Sri Lankan schools have taken part in this international convention. Certain schools have been participating in the competition for years and some have ended up in winning notes. For the benefit of the schools those who take part in this year's competition, this column will be dedicated.

Quality Circle is the concept initially introduced by Dr. Ishikawa to the shop floor level employees. It is a small group of first line operators to identify their job related problems, analyse, solve and implement the solutions found by utilising Quality Circle tools, techniques and concepts. In other words, quality circle is a group of people who meet together on a regular basis to identify, analyze and solve quality, productivity, cost reduction, safety and other problems in their work areas leading to improvement in their total performance and enrichment of their work life.

Practicing this concept helps the people to acquire knowledge in problem solving process and continually improve their skill for their self and mutual development.

It gives opportunity to show their capability, hidden talent and creative thinking. This philosophy is, if we focus on the development of individual, individuals so developed will develop the organisation.

That is why Japanese say "Before developing the product, we develop the people". In Many Industries in the globe are practicing the concept for development of people who can produce Quality Products, Services and Job.

I have seen a big display board in the exhibition Centre of the Aichi plant of the Toyota Motor Corporation in Nagoya, Japan stating 'Developing people First'.

Definitely, this concept will work wherever group functions be it a society or home, as every group is facing various kinds of problem. We can very well say this concept is applicable to schools also.

Student quality circles work on the original philosophy of Total Quality Management. The idea of SQCs was presented by City Montessori School (CMS) Lucknow India at a conference in Hong Kong in October 1994. It was developed and mentored by duo engineers of Indian Railways PC Bihari and Swami Das in association with Principal Dr. Kamran of CMS Lucknow India.

They were inspired and facilitated by Jagdish Gandhi, the founder of CMS after his visit to Japan where he learned about Kaizen. The world's first SQC was made in CMS Lucknow with then 13-year- old student, Sucheta Bihari as its leader. CMS conducts international conventions on student quality circles which it has repeated every two years to the present day.

After seeing its utility, the visionary educationalists from many countries started these circles.

The World Council for Total Quality & Excellence in Education was established in 1999 with its Corporate Office in Lucknow and head office at Singapore. It monitors and facilitates student quality circle activities to its member countries which are more than a dozen. SQCs are considered to be a co-curricular activity.

Quality Circles can be formed among students and also among teachers. Awareness about QC Concept, Nomination of QC Coordinator and facilitator, Training in QC Tools and Techniques are the process for forming quality circle in any Organization including schools.

Initially we can form three or four circles. It is interesting to note that the following are some of the problems and projects students could be identified by students themselves.

Improper uniform Absenteeism Disobedience Indiscipline in canteen Attending late to school Lack of Effective Communication Skills Making noise in libraries Lack of cleanliness Failing to perform in the class subjects by certain students while others are performing well

Why this Problem? Student lacks in his or her communication skills, it affects him or her in school: Unable to develop rapport with teachers, The all-round personality development of a student is not complete without this skill and therefore the aim of the school is not achieved to the maximum In Career: Loses golden opportunities, talents are not exhibited Unable to perform well in interviews Unable to excel in his profession

At Home front:
* Generation gap
* Misunderstanding and unhealthy environment

In Social life: Unable to make friends Unable to express his thoughts and feelings

The following diagram depicts the steps involved in solving problems through quality circles:

Problem identification Problem selection Problem analysis Implementation and recommendation to management

Problem identification results from any of
* The circle members
* School management
* Staff or technical experts Typically, in schools, several problems are identified.

Problem selections are a prerogative of the circle. The Circle performs problem analysis with assistance, if needed, from the appropriate technical experts and other functional agencies.

The Circle makes its recommendations and gives status report on its activities to its sectional and departmental heads in the first instance once in seven to eight weeks and selected cases of all circles are presented to the principal once in three to four months.

The most common techniques are:
1.Stratification of data
2.Pareto analysis
3.Cause and effect diagrams
4.Flowcharting
5.Histogram or Scattered diagram
6.Check sheet
7.Control chart

As we now know, QC Circles (QCC) activity is a small group activity, which operates in any organization following the principle of voluntaries.

The concept of the QCC originated in Japan with the basic objective of improving quality.

The principle of voluntariness is reflected in the following:
*Spontaneity in participation to QCC activity
*Spontaneity in problem identification and theme election
*Autonomy in problem solving and management of this activity
* Self-reliance in evaluating the results.

The scope of QCC activity in an school lies in the improvement of quality of
* Class Room
* Study environment
* Methods of studying and teaching

All the above improvements eventually results in
* Quality Students
* Higher Image of the school
* Better results of the school

In order to have a successful quality circle, you need to have commitment from various important people.

The Principal's commitment The Principal must be committed to providing all the support, encouragement and necessary infrastructure for QCC activities.

The inputs required from the principal are:
* Creating an environment filled with trust, confidence and respect for the students and teachers to unleash their hidden potential and capabilities to the fullest extent.
* Impressing upon the students and teachers on the need of launching QCC activities to their own benefits, which would eventually improve quality.
* Arranging training facilities and programmes on QCC for students.
* Arranging appreciation programs on QCC for middle level staff teachers and securing their confidence. Support and involvement in QCC activities.
* Building the required organisational infrastructure for forming the QC circles, motivating and mobilising them to actions and sustaining the QCC activities to the benefits of the organisation.
* Constantly monitoring the QCC activities to eliminate shortcomings and Introducing corrective measures for continuous developments

While structuring the QCC programmes the top management of the school must be alive to the following shortcomings:
* Generally low educational level of the students.
* Poor study conditions with scant regard to environmental cleanliness
* Poor economic level of the students.
* Poor health of the students on account of undernourishment, malnutrition, lack of proper medical facilities, lack of health consciousness.
* Generally prevailing mutual distrust between the teachers and the students.
* Poor understanding of teamwork on the part of the students.
* Traditional thinking about the methods of studying and teaching
* Low level of culture of the teachers Teachers' Commitments To make the QCC effective and result-oriented, the teachers should
* Make themselves knowledgeable and up-to-date about the concepts and working of the QCC's,
* Make themselves responsive to the ideas and contributions by one and all a class rooms.
* Create a conducive and stimulating atmosphere for the students such that their creativity can be energized and properly channelised.
* Develop an attitude to accept responsibility and stop blaming others.
* Look at the top management as a group of senior colleagues and part of their own working team.

It is Imperative that the above efforts of the middle management will be effective if the top management shows their confidence and trust to the middle manages and give all the support and encouragement required.

Intangible Benefits Students developed communication skills Students got rid of shyness and phobia

As a QC team:

1. Developing team spirit

2. Contact with various persons

3. Getting more friends

4. Getting appreciated by everybody including students and teachers

5. Developing problem solving capacity

6. Developing creativity and innovation

7. Students are given a free hand to solve problems successfully

I Hope that viewers will now agree practicing this QC Concepts in schools enable the students to acquire soft skills for the improvement of self and work life in future.