School Management Committees and Primary School Activities in Mayuge District, Uganda

ABSTRACT 

This study was carried out to assess the extent to which the primary school activities in Mayuge district, Uganda relate to the school management committees. Specifically, the study investigated the nature of School Management Committees in primary Schools in Mayuge District, Uganda; the extent to which primary school activities are carried out in Mayuge District, Uganda; as well as the influence of School Management Committees on primary school activities in Mayuge District, Uganda. Employing a cross-sectional survey design with qualitative and quantitative approaches, the researcher used a target population constituted the headteachers, teachers and members of the school management committees of the primary schools in the district, from the three counties that make up the district, namely, Bunya East, Bunya West, and Bunya South. The respondents were got from 70 primary schools out of 198 primary schools in the district. A sample size of 450 respondents was selected (450 primary school teachers and head teachers), and 60 members of the school management committees were subjected to oral interviews. The findings were that School management committees exist in all primary schools but they are poor in terms of their institution, meetings held and implementing what is decided upon in the meetings. Primary school activities, such as academic activities, the welfare of pupils and that of teachers, as well as physical infrastructure, are generally good in Mayuge district. In addition, the influence which school management committees exert on school activities in primary schools in Mayuge District is not significant; therefore, such school activities are mainly influenced by other factors, not school management committees. The recommendations were that there is need for the government and civil leaders to hold refresher courses for parents to appreciate their role in participating in the management of primary schools in their localities and to make them properly understand and appreciate their roles as members of the school management committees in case they are elected or appointed; Though the activities in primary schools are generally fulfilled well, their fulfillment is not 100% there is therefore need for the school founders and the district education officers to cause head teachers to fulfill better the activities within their schools, referring to the academic activities, pupil and teacher welfare plus the physical schools’ infrastructure. Finally, the chief administrative officers (CAO) and the district education officers (DEO) should liaise well with the sub county education committees to enforce the role of school management committees in monitoring all school activities. If possible the government should give them allowance at least once per term for them to do the work well.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION ..................................................................................................................... i

APPROVAL ...........................................................................................................................ii

DEDICATION .......................................................................................................................iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT...................................................................................................... iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................ v

LIST OF TABLES ...............................................................................................................viii

LIST OF FIGURES................................................................................................................ ix

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................. x

ABSTRACT........................................................................................................................... xi

CHAPTER ONE.................................................................................................................... 1

INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................. 1

1.0 Introduction....................................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Background of the study ................................................................................................... 1

1.1.1 Historical Perspective .................................................................................................... 1

1.1.2 Theoretical perspective .................................................................................................. 5

1.1.3 Conceptual Framework .................................................................................................. 5

1.1.4 Contextual Perspective................................................................................................... 6

1.2 Statement of the Problem .................................................................................................. 9

1.3 Purpose of the study........................................................................................................ 10

1.4 Research Objectives........................................................................................................ 10

1.5 Research Questions......................................................................................................... 11

1.6 Research Hypothesis....................................................................................................... 11

1.7 Scope .............................................................................................................................. 11

1.8 Significance of the study................................................................................................. 12

CHAPTER TWO................................................................................................................. 13

LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................................... 13

2.0 Introduction..................................................................................................................... 13

2.1 Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................... 13

2.2 Theoretical Review ......................................................................................................... 14

2.3 Related Literature ........................................................................................................... 15

2.3.1 School Management Committees................................................................................. 15

2.3.2 School Activities.......................................................................................................... 24

2.3.4 School Management Committees and School Activities .............................................. 26

CHAPTER THREE ............................................................................................................ 31

METHODOLOGY .............................................................................................................. 31

3.0 Introduction..................................................................................................................... 31

3.1 Research Design.............................................................................................................. 31

3.2 Research Population........................................................................................................ 31

3.2.1 Sampling ...................................................................................................................... 31

3.2.2 Sample size .................................................................................................................. 32

3.3 Data collection Instruments............................................................................................. 34

3.4 Validity and Reliability of research instruments ............................................................. 34

3.5 Ethical Considerations .................................................................................................... 35

3.6 Data Analysis.................................................................................................................. 35

3.7 Study limitations............................................................................................................. 36

CHAPTER FOUR ............................................................................................................... 37

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF FINDINGS.................. 37

4.0 Introduction..................................................................................................................... 37

4.2 Nature of school management committees in Mayuge district primary schools .............. 39

4.3 Extent of the implementation of school activities ........................................................... 45

4.4 Influence of school management committees on primary school activities in Mayuge district..................................... 49

CHAPTER FIVE................................................................................................................. 52

DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................................... 52

5.0 Introduction..................................................................................................................... 52

5.1 Discussion....................................................................................................................... 52

5.1.1 Nature of School management committees in primary schools, Mayuge District ........ 52

5.1.2 Extent to which primary school activities in Mayuge district are fulfilled ................... 54

5.1.3 Influence of school management committee on primary school’s activities in Mayuge District. ..................................... 55

5.2 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 56

5.3 Recommendation ............................................................................................................ 57

5.4 Areas for further research ............................................................................................... 57

REFERENCES...................................................................................................................... 58

APPENDICES ...................................................................................................................... 65

APPENDIX I: DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENTS ...................................................... 65

APPENDIX 2: Table for determining sample size from a given population by Morgan and Krejcie); adopted from Amin (2005)............................. 73