An assessment of the effectiveness of school Management committees’ collaboration in managing Finances in Gatundu District Kiambu County.

Abstract

The School Management Committee (SMC) is accountable in the management of finances in a school. They should have to work collaboratively in managing finances to avoid conflicts and doubt. The SMC have to be trained having proper knowledge and skills to do the work. The purpose of the study was to assess the effectiveness of school management committee collaboration in financial management. The SMC functions include planning and development of physical facilities in the school together with the human resource management. The study assesses the forms of existing school management committee collaboration in managing finances, examined the effectiveness of school management committee collaboration in influencing the management of finances, to establish the impact of school management committee collaboration performance in financial management and to determine the best practices of school management committee collaboration in financial management. The research used description survey design because it gave elaborated characteristic of the subject. The targeted population in the study in Ngenda zone was comprised of 17 head teachers,17 SMC chairpersons, 43 DEB representatives/sponsors and 136 class representatives. The study sampled head teachers and SMC chairpersons using systematic sampling technique and class representatives using stratified sampling techniques in which 5 head teachers, 5 SMC chairpersons, 15DEB representatives and 40 class representatives were selected. The data was collected using questionnaires for the respondents and interview schedule for class representatives and head teacher. Data collected was analyzed using both description and inferential statistics. The major concern for the study was a result of conflict between the head teacher and SMC members in the zone. The SMC member’s collaboration would improve the management of financers in public primary school though some hindrance of low academic qualifications of SMC members. The study was conducted in five primary schools which had similar characteristics. Data collected from the questionnaire was analyzed using descriptive statistics and finding presented in frequency tables, graphs, pie charts and percentages. This study established that head teacher should work closely with SMC members in managing finances to curb internal and external conflicts, which slow performance and school development, should share responsibilities and have proper channel of communication to avoid complains and incitement from SMC members and parents and should work with all SMC members regardless of their education backgrounds .In addition, the study findings revealed that many of the SMC members did not have skills and knowledge in managing finances therefore forcing the head teachers to work alone leading to suspicious of mismanagement of fund. The study finding also revealed of the outcome of SMC members collaboration in managing finances which has brought about effectiveness in performing financial duties, attracted donors in supporting of school development, quick accomplishment of school plans, enhance accountability and transparency, parents contributing willingly towards the agreed upon funds and passed the usage fund to P.T.A. The government was urged to come up with minimum education requirement for SMC members since most of them were found to be illiterate thus causing a lot of management problem .Further research is needed to assess the challenges SMC members collaboration experience in managing finances in Ngenda Zone.