Abstract:

Professional public relations helps institutions such as schools to identify their strengths, weaknesses, successes and failures quickly. This study examines the opinion of public relations practitioners in high schools regarding their public relations activities. Based on the framework of James Grunig’s Excellence Theory, three interviews were conducted using an interview guide of ten questions. The first with a public relations agency and the other two with the personnels in charge of the public relations activities in the schools sampled. Findings show that there is no public relations department/unit in high schools. There are no formal public relations activations in high schools. The public relations activities are initiated by subject teachers, as added responsibilities to their daily duties for which most of them are unhappy. However, despite the appreciable level of dissatisfaction, public relations representatives in high schools are still making efforts to improve the situation with their little working knowledge of how public relations activities should go. Due to the level of competition and trust from both existing and prospective patrons, however, public relations is not just about rhetoric but action. It is therefore obligatory for high school managements to perform better in order to build a positive image for their schools. They need to engender parents' co-operation and students' satisfaction. They must endeavour to establish active public relations departments or consult experts who would help to do the right thing.