The Community Participation in Financing Primary Education
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The research work is purposefully set out to investigate analysis and examine the point in which community participation in financing education in Ovia South West Local Government Area. It is a wide open and clear that the financial burden of the primary education in Nigeria at large, Ovia South West precisely cannot be over look and it cannot be left for the local government alone or else the primary education will decay and then the entire nation will collapses.
Also, the study will also help to correct the following standard of primary education y encouraging and challenging both individual, voluntary agencies and local government/communities to reconsider response to pounding basic facilities and adequate financial and adequate financial predicament.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Community Involvement in Educational Management of Secondary Education
Global review
Community activities in education and schools specifically, have a long history worldwide. Indeed, a perspective of centuries rather than decades would generally show role of governments until the twentieth century, as schooling before that time was being mainly provided by churches and other voluntary agencies (Cummings and Riddell 1994). Many colonial education systems in Africa were at least partly based on community inputs (Okoye, 1986).
During the period following World War II, the role of governments increased gradually until they were capable to play the dominant and in some countries almost exclusive role in providing education to the citizens. Support for this expanded role was contained in various international resolutions including the 1948 United Nations Declaration of Human Right the 1959 Declaration of the Rights of the Child, and the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. However, in the last quarter of the twentieth century the pendulum swung as the financial and other limitations of government capacity gained wider recognition while advocacy of community participation again became stronger (Tshireletso, 1997).
Communities have significant responsibilities in “creating, construction, financing, and managing the school, recruiting and paying teachers salaries and procuring school materials”. However, community schools differ from government schools in their funding sources, governance, management structure, organization, and often in curricular aspects (Rugh and Bossert, 1998).
Evidence about the impact of decentralization on education services is mixed and limited. In Brazil, for example, it has increased overall access (In enrolments) but has done little to reverse persistent regional inequities in access to schooling, per capita expenditures and quality (Bray, 1999).
Chilean’s experience also shows that decentralization does not by itself remove inequalities between localities of varying incomes. In fact, quality in poorer communities continues to lag. These results are supported by experiences in Zimbabwe and New Zealand. However, the design of these decentralized systems has been criticized. One shortcoming is that central governments have off-loaded responsibilities to local governments and communities without providing adequate targeted support.
Argentina, for example, transferred education from the national to the regional governments in order to reduce central government fiscal deficits.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
The study mainly consists of qualitative research work. The primary objective of the qualitative research was to represent data collected through the study of a small number of in–depth cases (O’Leary 2010). It was also used for working with a few people who hold answer to the research question rather than working with many people.
This study adopted the descriptive research design of survey type. This type of design allows the researcher to use a sub set of a population as sample (Nworgu, 2006). It also, allows the use of questionnaire for collection of data from respondents (Fwang‟le, 2015) and attempts to describe all aspects of respondents‟ perception and/or opinion (Nwanna, 1990). The choice of the above research design was therefore considered appropriate in this study because the data was collected from a sample representative of the population who are Ovia south West education board members and community leaders.
Population of the Study
The target population for this study consists of Ovia south west education board members and Ovia community leaders.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION
Introduction
This chapter focuses on the analysis of the data collected for the study. The results are presented in three sections. The first section focuses on the analysis of demographic data, second section answers research questions and test hypotheses. The last section discusses research findings.
Socio-demographic data of respondents
The demographic data obtained in the study from the students is analyzed using frequency and percentage. This is presented as follows.
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
CONCLUSIONS
From the aforesaid findings, it can be concluded that community involvement in financing secondary schools in their respective areas needs not only the efforts of the school management but also the leaders at community levels and the general public. There is a need, therefore, to change the attitude of both the school management teams and the community as a whole so that they know more about what is to be done in managing schools and the communities that built the schools.
Harmonious school community relationships will not only ensure accountability, cooperation, transparency and responsiveness of the community members to educational services and provisions, but will enhance teamwork; hence improve the whole management processes in the community secondary schools as well. The researcher was of the opinion that the findings would help education planners and policy makers to modify approaches used in the management of Community Secondary Schools to attract more community involvement and participation.
RECOMMENDATIONS
In the light of the research findings and conclusion of the study therefore the following is recommended for action and for further studies.
Recommendations for Action.
The findings revealed that involvement of community members in planning aspects was 58 percent. 42 percent of the Community was not involved.It is therefore recommended that the involvement be extended to other managerial processes and functions such as planning, organizing, budgetary control, and enhancing effective communication between community and their leaders and school management. This put in place, the respondents said, would allow both the leaders at community levels and school management teams to work together as a team for school development.
The benefits of community leaders participation in education management in community secondary schools will help to improve quality of education and access to education, to improve relevance of school curriculum to societal needs, improve school attendance and promptness of both teachers and students, increase school infrastructural facilities and renovate measures, and speed up to the process of social change, improve school environment and increase government – community relationship and partnership. This is also supported by Asiayai, (2008)
The findings further revealed that school Heads did the entire budgeting without involving community leaders. It is therefore recommended that the involvement of leaders at community levels in school budgeting is important as it will probably build trust among the community leaders and school management team. In case there was any deficit of anything needed by school, the community members would be ready to offset through their private or community contacts. Taking an example of the case of desks and chairs, if the head of schools and his / her staff decide themselves to buy the school desks and chairs for their schools without involving the community leaders it will not be easy to get the contribution to get those costs from the community without involving them in the process in the first place Community members now days believe that transparency is essential in their leaders including from the heads of schools and their staff.
Involving community leaders in school management will increase accountability in all matters concerning derailment of the schools because they contribute their time, money, labour and materials to build the school. This will make the leaders and the Community that led that school as their effort and hence they will continue to support it.
Due to the weaknesses observed in the functioning of School Boards, It is suggested that Board Chairpersons needed some orientation (seminars, workshops) on capacity building for them to perform their tasks effectively.
From the findings, the community leaders and school management did not work together due to lack of directives from the Ministry. It is recommended that the Ministry should set a clear cut division of responsibilities between various levels of decentralization in managing community secondary schools, school board Members, community leaders and other staff members.
The study revealed that some of school heads were newly appointed officials, hence did not have experience in the management of schools, due to the fact that they did not undergo any seminar concerning school management. It is recommended therefore that there should be frequent capacity building programmes on how they can work with
REFERENCES
- Asiyai, R.I. (2008) The Roles of International Agencies, Community Based Organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations in the Management of Universal Basic Education for Sustainable Development in Delta State, Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Educational Administration and Planning.
- Babyegeya, E.B.N.K. (2002), Educational Planning and Administration, Dar-es- Salaam. The Open University of nigeria.
- Balwetegile, F.S. (1991). The Management of Primary Education under the Local Government Systems in nigeria. Unpublished M.A. Education Dissertation. University of Dar-es-Salaam.
- Best, J and Kahnn, J. (1993), Research in Education. New York: Allyn and Bacon.
- Bray, M. (2000). Community Partnerships in Education: Dimensions, Variation and Implications. Paris: Education for All (EFA) Inter- Agency Commission, UNESCO.
- Bray, M. (2001). Community Partnerships in Education: Dimensions, Variations and Implications. Retrieved, January, 10, 2007, from www.unesco.org/education/wef/en-leadup/findings community%20ertnership%20summary.shtm-26k
- Bray, M. and Mukundan, M. (2003). Management and Governance for EFA Is Decentralization Really the Answer? Comparative Education Research Centre. Hong Kong. University of Hong Kong.
- Best, J and Kahnn, J. (1993). Research in Education New York; Allyn and Bacon.
- Cohen, L and Marrison, Manion, M (2000). Research Methods in Education.
- London. Routledge Falmer.
- Cole, G. A (2004) Management Theory and Practice (6th Edn). London. Book Power.
- Cresall, J.W. (1998).Research Design: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches
- New Delhi: Sage, Cummings, W. and Riddell, A. (1994). “Alternative Policies for the Finance, Control and Delivery of Basin Education”. International journal of Education Research, pp.751 -776.
- Dachi, H. (1994) Factors Affecting Decentralization of primary Education :A case study of Coast Region (nigeria Mainland ). Unpublished M.A Education Dissertation. University of Dar es saalam.
- Commings, W. and Riddell, A. (1994). “Alternative Policies for the Finance, Control and Delivery of Basic Education”. International Journal of Education Research, pp. 751 – 776.
- Dachi, H. (1994). Factors Affecting Fiscal Decentralization of Primary Education: A Case Study of Coast Region (nigeria Mainland).
