Challenges of Decentralization of Primary Education in Bukedea District in Uganda

Abstract

The study was about decentralization challenges in Government Aided Primary Schools in Bukedea District. The objectives were; to identify the challenges of decentralized supervision practices and assess the challenges of decentralized financial management practices. The study used both qualitative and quantitative approaches and employed a descriptive cross-sectional survey design. A sample size of 329 respondents were selected out of a population of 781, these were 1 District Education Official, 4 District Inspectors of Schools, 248 School Management Committee Members and 76 head teachers. The study used a questionnaire, interview guide and documentary reviews to collect data. Descriptive statistics was to analyse data; and challenges of the decentralized supervision practices were found to include: inadequate supervision mechanisms, insufficient funding for supervision processes, inadequate formal training on effective supervision, inadequate linkage of supervision objectives to performance of teachers and limited numbers of supervisors. The decentralized financial challenges included: insufficient funds, delayed quarterly government release of funds, and lack of financial cost sharing practices. The study recommended that head teachers and district education supervisors need to adopt supervision practices that are fully linked to performance at both school and district level, and district education officials ought to roll out massive financial management strategies to help head teachers deal with such challenges.