Practices and Challenges of School Grant Management Implementation to Enhance Students’ Achievements In Primary Schools of Kaffa Zone

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.