The Practices and Challenges of Financial Resource Management In Government Secondary Schools of Bale Zone

Abstract

The main objective of this research was to investigate the Practices and Challenges of financial resource management in government secondary schools of Bale Zone. To conduct the study, descriptive survey design was employed and through quantitative and qualitative method, the data were collected in 16 secondary schools from 38 school principals/vice principals, 12 supervisors, 32 school finance personnel by purposive sampling techniques and 232 teachers followed by simple random sampling techniques. Questionnaires were the main data gathering instrument for this study. And the qualitative data that were obtained from interview and document reviews were explained in words to enrich the quantitative data. The quantitative data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage and combined mean) and inferential statistics (t-test) was employed to identify whether there were statistical significance differences or not between teachers and school leaders on the questionnaires. And quantitative data collected through questionnaires were analyzed by using SPSS v.20 software. In addition, the major findings indicated the practices of financial planning in schools were not participating school communities and stakeholders, no have transparences, activating with unskilled financial management. In the study it was discovered that the main sources of the education budget in study school were from the government block grant and World Bank (school grant), but School internal income, community contribution and NGOs’ insignificant. Moreover, financial utilization in schools had a lack of participating the school committee and stakeholders, focused on simple activities than strategic points. And the system of financial recording and reporting in schools was not provided for the best financial management, not kept financial rule and regulations, it was not protected assets from accidental losses, no identified the school current income and expenditures. And also the finding indicated that challenges of financial resource management in the study secondary schools; lack of participation and transparency with school budget to communities, lack of planning and performing the school activities together with community, lack of skilled manpower, delay of budget to schools on time specially government budgets (block grant), lack of internal and external auditing system timely. Therefore, it is recommended that Woredas’ and Towns’ Education Offices should prepare short term training for school management, the WEO and schools should take measures to be improved the participation of stakeholder, employ skilled manpower, budget of school should be released on time, schools should report budget performance to the concerned bodies, and regular auditing should be carried out by schools, woreda education and finance office. In addition to these, Woredas’ and Towns’ Education Office planning owner experts, Woredas and Town Finance and Economic Development office auditor experts and high school supervisors should make appropriate monitoring and supervision by giving technical support for school managements.