An Assessment of the Status and Challenges of School Community Relationship in Secondary Schools of Sinan District, North West Ethiopia

Abstract

School as an open system and a social organization should work on the effective interrelationship within it and with its community to alleviate school problems and to create conducive school environment as well as to enhance students result. In the study woreda the school community relationship was not assessed and the status and the determinant factors were not identified. The main purpose of this study was to assess the status and challenges of school community relationship in secondary schools of Sinan District/Woreda/, East Gojjam Zone, Ethiopia. The study employed mixed research design particularly concurrent triangulation. Data for the study were collected through questionnaire, interview, and focus group discussions. Questionnaires administered to 79 teachers who were selected through stratified random sampling technique. Focus group discussions carried out for heads and team leaders from Woreda/district/ Education Office/WEO/ in one group; 126 class monitors in eleven groups; 14 Parent Teacher Association /PTA/ members in two groups & 16 Kebele Education Training Board/KETB/ members in two groups who were selected by purposive sampling techniques. Interview questions were also administered to vice principals, principal and cluster supervisor in order to triangulate the data. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS using mean, standard deviation and one sample t-test. The findings of this study revealed that there was low participation of the community in school management; in resources contribution; and in participating in the instructional issues. The school community relationship was influenced by lack of knowledge and awareness; shortage of resources and by negative attitudes of the community towards education and lack of conducive environment to engage communities. To solve the problems: Improve/update/ the competency of the existing school management bodies; principals should establish strong coordination with educational stakeholders; adequate awareness should be created for the community about the benefit of education and school principals should create conducive school environment to engage the community.