A Comparative Study of the Administrative Efficiency of Principals in Public and Private Secondary Schools in Maroua, Far North Region, Cameroon

Joseph Besong Besong

doi:10.5539/ijbm.v8n7p90

Abstract

This study sought to compare the administrative efficiency of principals in public and private secondary schools in Maroua, capital of Far North Region. Two research questions were posed and one null hypothesis formulated to guide the study. Thirty (30) schools principals i.e. 15 from the public and 15 from the private sectors were used for the study. A questionnaire entitled; Comparative Study of Administrative Efficiency in Public and Private Secondary Schools Questionnaire (CSAEPPSSQ) which consisted of 48 items was used to elicit information from the respondents. While mean scores and standard deviations were used to analyze the research questions, t–test statistic was used to test the only hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The result indicated that the public and private secondary schools principals differed significantly in terms of the level of delegation of functions motivation of staff, general rapport, aesthetics of school premises, management of funds and administration procedures but did not differ in terms of supervision, enforcement of rules and regulations, decision–making, organization of meetings, supply of equipment and protection of school property. From the above, recommendations were made, among which was the appointments of principals in both public and private secondary schools be based on qualifications and experience.

Highlights

The school is an institution or a human industry established for refining human beings in terms of skills, behaviour and all–round excellence
The findings showed that even after six years of commencement of Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme, the situation of inadequacy of the aforementioned infrastructures in public schools in particular has made the environment not conducive for teaching and learning
Principals who have served from 5 years and above in both public and private secondary schools were used in the study to obtain a large population and for convenience of data collection Thirty (30) principals in the study were stratified based on the characteristic of years of service used in the study

Summary

Introduction

The school is an institution or a human industry established for refining human beings in terms of skills, behaviour and all–round excellence. To achieve these objectives, an efficient personnel or administrator must head such an institution. As regards the secondary schools, whether public or private, the manager is generally regarded as the “principal”. A Cameroonian who must head the institution is supposed to have a proven ability and the knowledge to make the institution achieve the stated objectives efficiently

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion