The school administration secretary performs a large number of tasks within a school. This job requires organization and availability to meet the demands of students, parents and teachers. The work of a school secretary is essential to the proper functioning of a school.
The General Directorate for Compulsory Education (DGEO) has the primary mission of managing compulsory education by placing teaching and student monitoring at the center of its approach. This mission is deployed with the support of the human resources, finance and organization and planning departments of the school system. And the school secretary is an essential link in the smooth running of this mission.
The school secretary works with the director, the children and the parents. She makes the link between them, transmits information and finds the appropriate solutions.
If the secretary must compile absences, she must be present to do so. She works with children, when a child is sent to the principal by his teacher, it is generally in the office of the secretary that he lands. It is therefore essential to be attentive, while remaining in one’s place.
You have to show initiative, because it often happens that the director has to be absent for a meeting. The secretary must therefore fend for herself if an emergency arises, such as a fire alarm.
School secretary: Empathy and confidentiality
In addition, you have to be empathetic and firm, because there are parents of all genders and knowing how to listen and show empathy towards everyone is essential. It is therefore necessary to have a sense of confidentiality and good interpersonal skills depending on the situations encountered by certain students.
A sense of confidentiality is also essential, because we manage student files with their contact details as well as their health records.
Adaptability and writing skills
Mastery of common computer tools, good knowledge of state computer systems are a real asset. The secretary will have to write most of the time, therefore have great flexibility and adaptability as well as good writing skills. You also need to have the ability to manage priorities and meet deadlines, a sense of hospitality and service and, finally, absolute discretion regarding the business handled.
Routine administrative tasks of a school secretary
The school secretary also manages day-to-day activities, such as telephone reception and welcoming visitors (students, parents, external companies). Scheduling appointments is a recurring task. It often happens that a parent wishes to discuss with a teacher or a dean. She is also in charge of drafting letters and filing student files. In addition, you must have a good sense of organization to manage the agenda, while being interrupted by calls or visitors. Being able to inform and direct visitors to the establishment is also essential. For this, the school secretary must be attentive to needs and direct visitors, students, teachers and parents in the best way.
In addition, the administrative assistant in a school sector must be familiar with computer tools such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, nBDS or Smog.
Training
In Geneva, the job of administrative assistant requires at least a federal certificate of competence (CFC) as a commercial employee or a title deemed equivalent.
The purpose of an administrative assistant in a school establishment is to ensure the reception, the telephone reception of pupils, parents, teachers and any external person as well as the drafting of mail, and the management of all administrative tasks related to Student services office. The secretary is an important link in the organization and the proper functioning of a company. She takes care of the secretariat, the student files, the management of replacements as well as the director’s diary.
Further reading:
Communication, a creative and diversified “voice”
Why can an event manager be a perfect administrative collaborator?
The organization of events: towards an infinity of possibilities
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