Practices and challenges of decentralized educational management system in public primary schools of jimma town

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to assess the practices and challenges of decentralized educational management system in public primary schools of Jimma Town, Oromia Regional State. To be successful in the study five basic questions were raised. The research questions were emphasized the extent to which the decentralized educational management system was being implemented in public primary schools of the town and also, focused on the challenges prevailing for implementation. To conduct this study, descriptive survey method was employed. The sampling techniques employed were stratified random sampling, simple random sampling and purposive sampling. Accordingly, the total of 14 public primary schools of Jimma Town was grouped into 4 cluster resource centers using the stratified random sampling technique. From the four clusters 5 schools were selected as sample schools using simple random sampling, one from each cluster, and two schools from Hermata cluster which has more schools than the other clusters. The sample size was 168 teachers (using simple random sampling) and 5 principals, 20 educational officials (experts), 35 Parent Teacher Association (PTA) members, 5 PTA chair men and 1 town education office head were also included as participants by using purposive sampling technique. The data gathering tools were questionnaire, interview, observation as well as document analysis. Questionnaire was administered to 168 teachers, 20 educational officials and 35 PTA members for a total of 223 respondents of which 222 of them were properly filled and returned. Then, the information gathered through closed-ended questionnaire was analyzed quantitatively using frequency, percentage and mean score while the information gathered through interview and open-ended questions were narrated qualitatively. Results of document analysis were also described. The findings of the study indicated that the extent of teachers and PTA members’ awareness about decentralized educational management system, level of implementation of decentralized educational management options practiced in schools and within the education sector and practices of allocation of human, financial and material resources for the schools were generally low. Public ownership practices of the schools were also low. From the major challenges identified allocation of human, financial and material resources for the schools, implementation of quality indicators of the schools and challenges concerning of the school facilities were some of them. To overcome the challenges encountered, recommendations have been forwarded. These include: the work of awareness creation should be intensively carried out using different methods to develop the sense of ownership and self reliance in society, facilitating for providing available and sustainable training programs in different forms to the school community, stake holders and implanters to realize the decentralized educational functions, and giving attention in allocating educational resources and to fulfill the facilities of the schools for the successful quality of education