Exploring institutional factors limiting governance of capitation grants for secondary schools in Momba district, Tanzania.
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Date
2018
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Mzumbe university
Abstract
The overall objective of this study was to explore institutional factors limiting governance of capitation grants released from the central government to decentralized public local facilities providing secondary education in selected secondary schools of Momba District. Specifically, it assessed the perceptions of school community towards poor governance of capitation grants in public secondary schools, how cognitive, regulative and normative structures of public secondary schools contribute towards poor governance of capitation grants, and ways to enhance effective governance of capitation grants in schools. The study adopted a case study design and used a sample of 101 study participants. The quantitative data for this study were analyzed descriptively through Microsoft Excel, and presented by using tables. Also, the qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis. The study found out that there is a general dissatisfaction of the education stakeholders on the disbursed amount of capitation grants. School boards are normally excluded from the decisions concerning the amount disbursed and expenditure of capitation grants that makes difficult for them to execute their supervisory role. It was found that there are management conflicts between school boards and School Management Teams (SMTs). Furthermore, majority of school board members had insufficient knowledge on governing capitation grants. There are no strong rules and regulations that compel heads of schools to use capitation grants in a participatory manner. It was also found that parents are not much concerned with education matters including guiding their children to go to school that limited governance of capitation grants. Cognitive factors such as insufficient knowledge towards governance of capitation grants were found to be the leading institutional factors limiting governance of public funds released by the government. The suggested measures mentioned to enhance effective governance of capitation grants are to establish rules and regulations to ensure capitation grants‟ expenditure is done in a participatory way, criteria for allocation and disbursement of capitation grants should base on the needs of the schools and not number of students. There should be clear boundaries in the execution of school management duties between school boards and SMTs. The study concluded that under the fee-free policy, it is difficult to realize the quality of education unless the institutional factors that contribute towards poor governance of capitation grants in public secondary schools are thoroughly addressed.
Description
A dissertation submitted to Mzumbe University as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master degree of Science in Development Policy (MSc. DP) of Mzumbe University.
Keywords
Perceptions of the school community towards poor governance ., Secondary schools contribute towards poor governance ., Governance of capitation grants in public.