Abstract:
The rationale for school grants has emerged as part of relatively recent policy driven
practices for educational decentralization. Within the broad context of educational reform,
school grants are one possible component of the decentralization process, often undertaken
to increase efficiency by making financial decisions more transparent to communities. The
study aimed to assessing the practices and challenges of school grant management
implementation to enhance students’ achievements in government primary schools of Kaffa
Zone, South Nation Nationalities and peoples Regional States. It was concerned with the
school grant management (such as, planning, purchasing, auditing accounting and
controlling), challenges faced for effective management of school grant budget. To meet the
stated objective, descriptive survey design was used to carry out the study. Five groups of
respondents were participated in the study. These were 134 teachers, 34 principals, 4
supervisors, 8 Parent Student Teacher Association and 8 Kebele Education and Training
Board heads which had direct relation with school grant management and utilization. From
the study areas, 3 Woredas and 1 town administration in which 8 schools were selected
randomly. Principals, cluster supervisors, Parent Student Teacher Association and Kebele
Education and Training Board heads were selected by purposive sampling technique due to
their direct relation with the issue under study and also to gain sufficient information. The
data were collected through questionnaire, interviews and document analysis. Data gathered
through questionnaire were quantitatively analyzed using mean and standard deviation.
Whereas the data gathered through interview, open ended questions and document analysis
were qualitatively analyzed. Having gone through these, the study found out that
participation of stake holders in managing the school grant function was unsatisfactory. In
addition to this, Lack of training and continuous follow up in the area of school grant
management was challenging. The parent student teacher association and kebele education
and training board heads fail to participate how to follow up, control, audit, account,
coordinate and communicate on the management of school grant. Based up on the findings,
there was some recommendation. Therefore, capacitating professionals through training
assist users in putting this budget into effective utilization. To develop positive attitude
towards the management of the school grant budget had better to work closely with the
school community and different stakeholders. Vice principals, principals, Woreda education
offices and Zone education department shall follow up the school grant budget.
