The Oxford English Dictionary states
that to plan means to device or design something to be done. Dror (1963) sees
planning as the process of paring a set of decisions for action in the future
directed at achieving goals by optional means. Implementation on the other hand
means carrying out a plan. The execution of set of decisions or simply plan in
action.
Educational planning according to
Beeby (1967) in broad sense is the exercising of foresight in determining the
policy priorities and cost of educational system having due regard for economic
and political realities, for the system potential for growth and for the needs
of the country and of people served by the system.
Coombs (1970) sees educational
planning as the application of rational systematic analysis to the process of
educational development with the aim of education more affective and efficient
in responding to the need and goals of it’s student and the country.
In the blue print put forward by the
implementation committee on national policy on education (1979), educational
planning is presented as a continuous process of obtaining and analyzing fact
and empirical base of providing information to decision makers on how well the
educational system is accomplishing it’s goals in particular, how the cost
effectiveness of educational programmes and specific project can be improved.
From the foregoing definitions, one
can rightly say quoting Ede (2001) that educational planning is making
deliberate preparations and decision in the present concerning educational
enterprises based on empirical and
analyzed data, to ensure that actions taken in future are such that would
ensure that the goals of education are realized in the most educative and
efficient manner within available resources.
Implementation if applied to
education means the mapping out of educational plan. It is a type of
educational planning process.
Once an education plan is approved,
the next thing is to put the plan into action. The important stage simply means
putting the plan into action. It is at this stage that the plan can encounter
some problems such as lack of funds and lack of manpower to execute the plan.
It is exactly in this sense that we talk of implementation problems of the
6-3-3-4 system of education.