Management of School Grant in Secondary Schools of Jimma Zone: Implication to Quality of Education

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to assess the management of school grant and its implication to quality of education in secondary schools of Jimma Zone. To achieve the intended objective of this study descriptive research design was used with quantitative and qualitative approaches. Quantitative approach was used for the quantitative data that were collected through questionnaire and qualitative approach was used for the qualitative data that were collected through interview and document analysis. Primary quantitative data were collected from 266 sample respondents of teachers through questionnaire and qualitative data were collected through structured interview from 9 principals and 9 PTAs. The collected quantitative data were analyzed in percentage, mean, standard deviation and one sample t-test. Based on the analysis made of this study the findings of this study were identified. Then the findings of this study were the extent at which school grant managed was medium, strategies /mechanisms that used to implement effectively and utilize school grants were the budgetary plans of the office and the schools are prepared in accordance with the budgetary ceiling, and then submitted to the woreda council, implementation scheduling was used with detailed plans, manage the allocation of the school grant fund through establishing effective financial handling system and accounting system, improvement of the quality education that resulted due to the utilization of school grant fund was not as required, challenges that affected the effective utilization of school grant in secondary schools were neglect to spend on resources associated with the improvement of learning outcomes, A school grant policy formulation for quality education was limited, limitations of local capacity, school grants allocation was applied insufficiently in addressing certain identified priorities, School grant funding is not provided in the right quantity and at the right time, there is lack of appropriate utilization of school grant fund, grant fund planning process was frequently dominated by school principals, lack of transparency and lack of effectiveness of school committees in monitoring and supervision and teachers do not well participate and give their alternative solution for the improvement of school grant management. Based on the above findings conclusions were given. The researcher concluded that the extent at which school grant was medium. The researcher concluded that strategies /mechanisms used to effectively utilized school grant in secondary schools of Jimma zone were preparing the budgetary plans and submitted to woreda council and used according to the budgetary regulation, the goal of school grant fund was addressed by the secondary schools management at medium level, the financial handling system was established and used to allocate the school grant. Based on the conclusions made of the study recommendations were given. Therefore, recommendations were the extent at which the school grant management implemented should be improved by the school management and woreda education office through preparing effective planning, monitoring the effective utilization of school grant fund to improve the quality of education.