School Management Committee Research Articles

Effectiveness of Parent Teacher School Management Committee on Quality of Education in Public Secondary School of Tehsil Hub, District Lasbela

Parental involvement in school activities, such as Parent, Teachers, and School Management Committees (PTSMCs), is crucial for improving education quality. This study aims to explore how parents can participate in school learning activities, enabling students to achieve high grades. The study found that most parents believe they are no longer responsible for their children's education, educators oppose parental meddling in school matters, and parents oppose parental meddling in school matters. To compare the effectiveness of education provided by Tehsil Hub of District Lasbela, eight high schools were selected, and 100 participants participated using both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Open-ended questions were used for teachers and parents, while closed-ended questions were used for students. The study found that PTSMC is effective based on firsthand observation. Using a Likert scale questionnaire, the students assessed the quality of PTSMCs performance on several dimensions. The questions on the questionnaire are all closed-ended, making statistical analysis and quantification of the data easy. Data were gathered using a questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, and all available administrative documents. Data was collected through in-person visits and subsequently subjected to statistical and content analysis. There were recommendations given considering the findings.

How did the outcome of international cooperation in school-based management help schools respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal?

PurposeThis study aims to determine how school-based management (SBM) capacity developed through international cooperation functioned to overcome challenges during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Nepal.Design/methodology/approachThe research structure was designed based on the success case method. The researchers conducted a questionnaire survey of head teachers to understand schools’ responses during the COVID-19 pandemic period, identified likely success-case schools, held workshops at the likely success-case schools and conducted in-depth interviews with head teachers and school management committee (SMC) members to understand how SBM functioned and contributed to the success cases.FindingsStorytelling from the success-case schools provided reliable evidence that the localised approaches of SBM are effective for planning and implementing suitable responses at school. The reviews of the head teachers showed that both head teachers and teachers had strong leadership and understood the importance of collaboration with teachers, SMC members, Parent Teacher Association (PTA), guardians and students. Although the research could not show clear evidence of a causal relationship between their achievement and Japan’s project input, the success-case schools clearly benefited from the head teachers’ appropriate execution of SBM with their strong leadership as well as the collaborative efforts of the stakeholders.Originality/valueThe research tries to clarify the influence of the effects of SBM capacity development projects by analysing the changes of head teachers and teachers through the storytelling aspect of the success case method with in-depth consideration of actual school responses during the emergency period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Influence of Kenya Education Management Institute Training for Head Teachers on Financial Resource Management in Public Secondary Schools in Kisii South Sub-County, Kenya

Management of resources in secondary schools by principals greatly contributes towards successful institutional programmes and projects in their respective schools. Kenya Education Management Institute (KEMI) has taken an integral role in training head teachers on the management of resources. Despite KEMI training the principals on resources and management, schools remain underdeveloped as head teachers get interdicted due to mismanagement of resources. The study was, therefore, paramount in establishing the influence of KEMI training for principals on the management of resources available in secondary schools. The study adopted mixed methods, and therefore, the researcher applied qualitative and quantitative methods through concurrent triangulation design of both qualitative and quantitative data collections at the same time. The target population comprised 73 head teachers and 73 school management committee chairpersons. Using the Central limit theorem, a sample of 25 head teachers and 25 committee chairpersons was selected. Simple random and purposive sampling was used to select the samples from each category of the population; questionnaires were administered among principals, while interview schedules were conducted among school chairpersons. An observation checklist was also used to collect data from the school vicinity. Data analysis involved qualitative data being analysed in themes, while quantitative data was through descriptive statistics used in Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS 23) and presented using tables and charts. The study established that KEMI training for principals influenced their management of human resources in schools. Through KEMI training, principals acquired knowledge, skills, and attitudes to handle teachers, support staff, pupils and other persons involved in the running of schools. The study recommends that there is a need for principals to conduct staff appraisals, create a motivating and rewarding environment and establish conflict resolution mechanisms

Awareness of School Management Committee Members on their Contributions on Improving Students' Academic Performance in Primary Schools in Rorya District

Awareness of School Management Committee Members on their Contributions on Improving Students' Academic Performance in Primary Schools in Rorya District

Public Relation Detachment of Community Schools: A Study of Duduwa Rural Municipality, Banke, Nepal.

A strong bond between school family and community should be indispensable. Students severely suffer when they fail to maintain mutual respect between these two stakeholders. The research suggests a viable solution after unfolding the existing detachment of the secondary level community schools with the social accessory in Duduwa Municipality of Banke district in the western part of Lumbini Province, Nepal. I purposively selected the secondary schools of Duduwa Rural Muncipality to explore the problematic in relationship with society and the school family. The rationale behind the selection lies in the low academic achievement of the students. I used observation, interview, and document review to collect the information from the selected schools. The school teachers and guardians have a grudge against the lack of proper educational value and quality upgrading education. The academic discussion got the inference that imagined dominant knowledge of the head teacher, members of the school management committee, president of parent teachers’ association and teachers detaches relation with the society. Therefore, the research recommends measures to be taken by the school management committee and the school family to develop smooth and healthy relations with the public to improve public involvement in quality accreditation.

Influence of Managerial Technical Competences on Performance of Teachers in Public Primary Schools

This study investigated the influence of managerial competencies and performance of teachers in upper primary in selected public schools in Mayuge District. The study used a descriptive cross-sectional survey design to examine the relationship between managerial competences and teacher performance. A sample of 92 respondents was categorized as school managers, head teachers, teachers, and management committee members. The study used simple random techniques and purposive sampling techniques. The study analyzed quantitative data collected using structured, closed-ended items in questionnaires and coded using a five-point Linkert response scale. Raw data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson product moment correlation to determine the influence of managerial competences on the performance of teachers. The study found out that managers' managerial competencies play a role in influencing the performance of teachers in public primary schools. Level of education, professional qualification of head teachers, and managerial human relations competencies all influence performance. The study concluded that poor managerial technical competences affect the performance of teachers in a negatively in form of less preparation of schemes of work and lesson planning, not following the timetable, and many others. The study recommended that there is need to encourage professional growth and training in both managerial technical competences and human relations competences in order to improve the performance of teachers in the schools. The study further recommended that for Managerial competences and performance of teachers to be effective in upper primary schools, head teachers should continue to motivate their teachers to improve on their performance, the school should hire external expertise that can facilitate professional development experiences and external expertise.

Improving School Quality in Junior High Schools in Ghana: Teachers’ Myth and Reality of a Decentralization Policy

In the education decentralization processes, community participation in education governance has been argued to be essential for improving accountability to service beneficiaries. Therefore, this paper examined the perspectives of key actors on the impact of an educational decentralization policy on improving school quality education in Junior High Schools in Ghana. Participants in the study were 54 School Management Committee (SMC)/Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) members, 106 teachers, and 11 head teachers in 11 schools drawn from two districts in the Central Region of Ghana. Teachers filled out questionnaires and interviews were conducted with SMC/PTA members using a semi-structured interview guide and with 11 head teachers. The paper reveals that the education decentralization policy, with community participation at its heart, has given schools some autonomy in their decision-making process. However, the involvement of community members in school activities has been limited mainly to financing, with little emphasis on the decision-making process in school governance. The study recommends that there should be adequate support for communities to become more involved in the decision-making process, especially in implementing the School Performance Improvement Plan for Ghana to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.

State of Instructional Educational Facilities of Primary Education at Upazila Level

Primary education is a basic education for all, which depends on different agencies and factors to ensure its quality. The study assessed the state of instructional facilities in primary education at the Upazila level in Bangladesh. An explanatory sequential design and mixed methods have been used in this study. The researcher has collected quantitative data by surveying primary school head teachers and selected schools from two upazilas: Charghat in Rajshahi and Sundargonj in Gaibandha District. The sample for the study was determined by stratified and simple random sampling. The total schools were 12 and 42 in both study areas. Through different interviews, questionnaire surveys, and document reviews, the researcher has explored the scenario of instructional educational facilities and provided suggestions to ensure quality primary education. The study finds that the Upazila Education Office should be at the vanguard of achieving quality primary education by ensuring the excellence of the school environment through instructional facilities with the help of the government, School Management Committee (SMC), Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), and communities. Overall, the government should prioritize investing in the improvement of instructional facilities in primary schools, as it directly impacts the quality of education and the ultimate academic performance of the students.

Vulnerability of LSPU Students Learning and the Resilience of LSPU Administration Amidst Covid -19 Pandemic

Covid-19 Pandemic has impacted higher education institutions which majority of institutions in our nation were unprepared for the COVID-19-related enormous migration from campuses to homes and the stay-at-home instructions. Flexible learning environments take into account how classroom time is used, how students are divided for learning, and how physical space is used. Interactive techniques are used in learner-centered education to engage students and enhance their skills. The quality of instruction, the environment, the pace, and the procedures, evaluated how vulnerable the students’ learning remained. This study’s findings show that even amid a pandemic, students are secure and protected. This study assesses the resiliency of the LSPU Administration and Faculty in terms of their contributions to service delivery in terms of actions/ contingency planning, school management committees, relationship networks, and their process for teachers’ professional development in the face of the COVID-19 Pandemic. There are 315 students from the university’s several colleges who take part in the specialized study of LSPU Siniloan Campus. All of the academic departments in our university received survey questionnaires using Google Forms. It is emphasized that students’ motivation is more likely to depend on a variety of social and psychological factors and that the highest mean of 4.30 shows that student learning is fragile in terms of high-quality education. Personal interests and worldviews are examples of psychological factors that affect how the mind works. The school offers online classes (Synchronous) for a variety of college programs at least once a week, which speaks to the administration’s resilience in terms of contributions to service delivery of actions or contingency planning. Quizzes, in-class assessments, standardized tests, and student projects are all part of the curriculum provided by the school administration in terms of service delivery and educational features. Keywords: Vulnerability, Resiliency, Contingency plans, Service delivery

Community Driven Initiatives for The Enrolment of Children with Disability in Ghana

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine nature of participation and the contributions local communities make in the enrolment of children with disability in schools in the Jirapa District of Ghana. The study was anchored on the concern that inspite of the importance of inclusive education, globally, 258 million children, majority with disability are out of school. About 400,000 of these are in Ghana.
 Methodology: A case study design was employed with a sample size of 72 respondents drawn from parents who had their children in the basic public schools, community leaders, School Management Committees and Parent Teacher Associations, head teachers, class teachers and pupils from 10 communities and their public primary schools. Through thematic analysis of the qualitative data and descriptive statistics of enrolment records the study the awareness and specific contributions and best practices from community members and actual number of children with disability who have been enrolled in school.
 Findings: The study revealed a high level of community awareness regarding children with disability while community participation and their contributions manifested in mapping, house to house enrolment drives and sensitization forums as these addressed stigma and discrimination against children with disability and their families, ultimately resulting in the former’s enrolment in school.
 Contribution to theory, practice and policy: The findings provide more empirical evidence regarding specific contributions of local communities in the realisation of the provisions of Ghana’s Inclusive Education Policy. Globally, best practices such as community mapping as revealed by the study can contribute significantly to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goal 4 which seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Leadership and Management Trait of SMC Members in School Governance

Among various school governing bodies, the School Management Committee (SMC) is the leading one that designs the vision and missions for the school. Nepalese education policy has given SMC the duty of school improvement. The theory of governance explains leadership and management quality in its process. So, SMC, from the viewpoint of governance theory, better performs when possesses leadership and management knowledge. This mixed method research explored these qualities in the SMC of Kanchanjunga Secondary School. The qualities are explored from the viewpoints of students and the SMC chair both, where the quantitative data were collected from the students and qualitative from the SMC chair. The research found that the SMC of the researched school possessed less leadership and management qualities. The SMC members need knowledge and training on the traits of leadership and management like decision making and dissemination, setting goals for the school, participatory approach in decision making and implementation, communicative approach, transparency, and accountability

Job satisfaction, professional growth, and mathematics teachers’ impressions about school environment

This study examined high school mathematics teachers’ job satisfaction and professional growth in Nepal. The data were collected from 49 high school mathematics teachers using a structured questionnaire with Likert-scale items and some open-ended questions. The quantitative and qualitative analysis revealed mixed findings. Mathematics teachers were relatively satisfied with their profession; however, various factors were important for job satisfaction and professional growth. The three most important were inservice training and educational resources, schools’ infrastructure, and financial incentives. The data analysis further contends that the school education system must be free from politics, and the procedure of forming the school management committee (SMC) must be isolated from political intervention. Furthermore, school teachers are prohibited or discouraged from participating in politics as political cadres. The data revealed that the different teachers’ unions need to work on behalf of teachers’ welfare rather than carry forward their political parties’ agendas and ideologies.

Impacts of Ethnic Conflict on Formal Education in Ghana: A case study of Chereponi District in North-Eastern Ghana

Purpose: The study set out to explore the impact of conflict on educational activities.
 Methodology: The study employed a mixed method design where both qualitative and quantitative data was collected.The target population for this study was limited to the stake holders of education in district because they had adequate knowledge about what constitute educational activities and how these are affected by the conflict. These included Teachers, current students, School Management Committee (SMC) members and Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs).
 Findings: It was also revealed that the impact of the conflict on educational activities were school closures, absenteeism of both teachers and students, movement of teachers to other districts, disruption of examinations and child rights abuse. During the conflicts GES schools were shut down over a year so no academic activities took place during the period. Pupils remained at home with their parents for safety reasons.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study recommends that the Ministry of Youth and Local Government may liaise with the National House of Chiefs and the Northern Regional House of Chiefs to employ the indigenous methods of conflict resolution within the district to resolve the conflict between the Chokosis and the Konkombas. The Government of Ghana may formulate policies that will forbid any warring factions from targeting educational facilities or education employees and students so as to prevent instances where communal clashes disrupt academic activities.

School committee composition: Exploring the role of parental and female representation in India

SummaryMotivationThe adoption of school‐based management (SBM) reforms has led to the formation of local‐level school committees in many low‐ and middle‐income countries. These committees are usually created with the stated aim of giving parents or local community members a greater say in school management. Various studies have, however, highlighted difficulties with parental and female participation, casting doubt on the extent to which greater community representation improves school management.PurposeThe article examines empirically whether greater parental and female representation in Indian school management committees (SMCs) is associated with school improvement as measured by increases in the school‐level provision of basic infrastructure and services.Methods and approachFixed‐effects regression models are estimated using school‐level panel data.FindingsI find that increased parental representation is not associated with improvements in school infrastructure/service provision. Rather, what contributes strongly to improved outcomes is increased representation of elected local authority members. Overall, schools with female‐majority SMCs also perform better.Policy implicationsWhile the requirement for Indian SMCs to include representation from local government appears to be an effective feature of their composition, there is a need for capacity‐building efforts to ensure that parent members also contribute effectively to school management. SMCs should also be encouraged to meet the female representation quota, as the analysis suggests a positive association between female representation and school outcomes.

Causes of Female High School Student Dropout in Bangladesh: An Exploration of the Pabna District in Familial, Economic and Institutional Contexts

Since ancient times, women in Bengal have been poorly treated and left without most of their rights. Moreover, that continuity still exists in some areas, education being one of them. Male and female enrollment in primary and secondary schools has recently reached the expected level. However, the rate at which female students drop out of secondary school is still alarming. The goal of this study is to find out why so many female students in Bangladesh, and especially in the Pabna district, drop out of high school. In carrying out this research, qualitative and quantitative data have been used almost equally, and a mixed-method approach has been applied to reach the aims and objectives of the research. Findings show that female students drop out of Western-style secondary education mainly because of structural-level barriers. Poverty among parents or guardians is the root cause of dropout among economic issues. And all the structural-level issues are interlinked with poverty. Though child marriage is the immediate process of the dropout, it is not the leading cause. It is a process. Research shows that it is impossible to stop female students from dropping out of high school if the poverty of their parents or guardians is not alleviated and the immediate process is not stopped. It is suggested that needy and educationally disadvantaged students receive a special financial incentive. In addition to getting support from the government administration, the school management committee must play a decisive role in meeting the problems and supporting female students in all aspects.

Head teacher Leadership Styles and Teacher Performance in Primary Schools in Kaabong District, Uganda

Purpose: This study investigated the influence of headteacher leadership styles on teacher performance in primary schools in Kaabong District. Specifically, the study was to establish whether headteacher transformational leadership style had a significant influence on teacher performance; whether headteacher instructional leadership style had a significant influence on teacher performance; and whether headteacher transactional leadership style had a significant influence on teacher performance in primary schools in Kaabong District.
 Methodology: The study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive survey research design in which structured questionnaires and face-to-face interviews were used to collect data from 308 respondents that included headteachers, directors of studies, teachers, pupil leaders and members of school management committees. The sampling of respondents was done mainly using simple random and census.
 Findings: The study found out that most headteachers in primary schools in Kaabong used the three leadership styles in their management. However, the study found out that most of the respondents disagreed that teacher performance in the primary schools was good. The results of the linear regression showed that use of transformational leadership style had an insignificant influence on teacher performance; use of instructional leadership style had a moderate significant influence on teacher performance; and use of transactional leadership style had an insignificant influence on the teacher performance in the primary schools.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: The findings of the study will provide a basis for policy makers to consider which leadership styles to emphasize in a bid to improve on teacher performance in schools. The findings from this study will provide an insight among head teachers on the importance of adopting appropriate leadership styles that can ensure good teacher performance in the primary schools. The findings will provide a basis for identifying the relationship between head teachers and teachers in forging best practices for improved teacher performance in schools.

Managerial Skills and Performance of School Management Committees in Primary Schools in Yumbe District-Uganda.

This study investigated the influence of managerial skills on the performance of School Management Committees (SMC) in primary schools in Yumbe District. Managerial skills were conceptualized as financial skills and administrative skills. The performance of primary schools was conceptualized in terms Primary Leaving Examination Results, Approved school budget, Financial and accountability reports, Assessment of learners and teachers, Duty attendance by teachers and Class attendance by pupils. The objectives included (i) to examine the influence of financial skills on the performance of School Management Committees (SMCs) of Primary Schools in Yumbe District and (ii) to examine the influence of administrative skills on the performance of School Management Committees of Primary Schools in Yumbe District. The study adopted cross sectional and correlational designs. The study population was 340 using Morgan and Krejcie (1970) a sample of 185 respondents was obtained. Data were collected using in-depth interviews and self-administered questionnaires, analysed using Pearson’s linear correlation coefficient and content analysis. The results indicated that there was strong significant relationship between financial skills and performance of SMCs as well as strong significant relationship between administrative skills and SMC performance with r = (r = .772, α≤ .01) and (r = .850, α ≤ .01) respectively. The regression models all indicate a significant fit. The study concluded that managerial skill influences the performance of SMCs in primary schools. The study recommended continuous training for SMCs.

Community Participation and Empowerment in Elementary Education: A Study of Uttarakhand State

The role of School Management Committees (SMCs) in promoting quality elementary education of children indicates that the community has a strong resolve to achieve education for all- goal 4 of the UN Agenda for sustainable development. Community participation and empowerment meaningfully brings the point to fore that schooling system partnering with the local community can provide solutions to many intricate issues. The present paper argues that community (School Management Committee) is an effective instrument to empower the marginalized to voice their grievances and come up with solutions and have a say in decision-making. The study establishes, that SMCs are aware of the policy issues and fault lines therein but their major concern is immediate i.e., to enroll all children, retain them in school and improve the quality of learning. The parents of children find difficult to provide academic support to children as they are pressed by the drudgeries of livelihood along with low level or no education. Therefore, in SMCs meetings they insist on improving school effectiveness, and for the improvement in the classroom, processes are the key to quality education. Thus, in improving access, enrolment, retention of children in schools and the overall monitoring of schools, the SMCs are playing significant role. However, more concentrated efforts are required to improve the classroom processes- resulting in better quality of learning

The financial management practices of head teachers, teachers and chairperson of school management committee at elementary schools in Bahanaga block, Balasore, Odisha: An analytical assessment

The financial management practices of head teachers, teachers and chairperson of school management committee at elementary schools in Bahanaga block, Balasore, Odisha: An analytical assessment

Pre and post assessment of school management committee: A case study of Sindh

Pre and post assessment of school management committee: A case study of Sindh