Decentralised Centralism: Insights from a Malaysian Cluster School of Excellence

Lee, Huan Yik; Samuel, Moses

doi:10.14425/jice.2020.9.1.0913

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…It is a global phenomenon. In many developing countries, there are currently intensified efforts by policymakers to push for decentralisation of education as part of a neo-liberal reform agenda to improve school management efficiency and cater for localised needs (Lee and Samuel, 2020). Chile, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe, China, Thailand and Indonesia are some of the countries where decentralisation has been adopted for the purpose of improving school management efficiency and cater to localised needs (Lee and Samuel, 2020).…”

Section: Literature Reviewsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Accountability in the financial management practices of school principals

Dwangu

Mahlangu

2021

IJEM

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PurposeThe purpose of this article is to investigate the effectiveness of accountability mechanisms employed in financial management practices of school principals in the Eastern Cape Provincial Department of Education. The strengths and weaknesses of the systems and mechanisms of the processes to hold school principals accountable are explored in detail in this study. The argument that this article seeks to advance is that accountability of the school principal to the school governing body (SGB) does not yield the best results in terms of efficiency. It creates a loose arrangement in terms of which the school principal takes part in financial mismanagement in schools.Design/methodology/approachData collection was made through semi-structured interviews whose purpose was to draw experiences from SGBs, particularly the finance committees who are in fact the sub-committees of the SGBs; as well as literature review. The finance committee is made up of the chairperson of the SGB, the secretary of the SGB, the treasurer of the SGB, and the financial officer who is a clerk responsible for the keeping and the management of financial records of the school. The process started with semi-structured interviews, then transcribing, coding, developing themes, making meaning of the themes and subsequently developing a principle.FindingsMechanisms employed by schools and the Department of Education to hold principals accountable for their financial management practices fail to make them fully accountable and effectively face the consequences of acts on their part that are illegal and unlawful. The mechanisms need a great deal of overhauling. The argument that this article seeks to advance is that this account of the school principal to the SGB does not yield the best results in terms of efficiency. It creates a loose arrangement in terms of which the school principal easily gets away with a crime when financial mismanagement occurs in the school.Research limitations/implicationsParticipants could possibly not be comfortable and willing, to tell the truth as it is. Participants might have the fear that telling the truth could land them in trouble with the law. Whilst participants were assured by the researchers of their anonymity and the confidentiality of the information given by them, there was no guarantee that the fear of being exposed would subdue completely. There was also a possibility that some participants would not be willing to say the truth as it is for fear of being victimised by other participants for exposing the status quo in their schools.Practical implicationsThe findings and recommendations from this study may be used by the Department of Basic Education as a source of information for policymakers and stakeholders to understand the effectiveness of their mechanisms to ensure the accountability of school principals on issues of financial management. On the basis of this study, policymakers will then be able to revisit their policies for the purpose of strengthening them. The principal is therefore responsible for the day-to-day administration and management of school funds because of this mandatory delegation. However, when things go wrong, it is the SGB that is held liable.Social implicationsSchool principals hold dual accountability in terms of which they are accountable to the employer only in so far as their professional responsibilities are concerned on financial management in the first instance. They are by no means accounting officers in schools. In the second instance, they are fully accountable to the SGB for issues relating to financial management. Section 16A of SASA lists the functions and responsibilities for which the principal as an employee of the Department of Basic Education, and in his official capacity as contemplated in Sections 23(1) and 24(1) (j) of the same Act, is accountable to the head of department (HOD).Originality/valueThe study provides a theoretical and empirical contribution to the existing literature on the effectiveness of the mechanisms employed to ensure the accountability of school principals in their financial management practices in schools. It offers practical recommendations putting in place mechanisms that effectively hold school principals wholly accountable for their financial management practices in schools. Most of the time, it is easy for the principal to get away with a crime even in instances where he or she is called upon to account for alleged financial mismanagement.

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Section: Literature Reviewsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Accountability in the financial management practices of school principals

Dwangu

Mahlangu

2021

IJEM

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“…In this way, through its policy of decentralisation, neoliberalism ruthlessly impacts the most disadvantaged schools located in poor and low resourced rural areas, without any prospect of improving the quality of education in these areas. This is despite promises that decentralisation will increase the efficiency and the quality of education (Makara, 2018), respond to local needs (Astiz et al, 2002), give schools more decision-making power (Lee & Samuel, 2020), improve service to communities (Pomuti & Weber, 2014), and enhance stakeholder involvement in the management of school resources (Mwinjuma et al, 2015). That very little of these promises seems to have realised under neoliberal decentralised education systems could be attributed to neoliberalism's hidden agenda with education decentralisation -which is primarily to "off-load financial responsibilities" (Chang, 2010, p.8).…”

Section: Neo-liberal Market Rationality and Educational Decentralisationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is Decentralisation a Suitable Response to Improve South African Rural Education?

Teise¹,

Barnett

2021

IJLTER

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South Africa (SA) has a decentralised education system. It is generally assumed that decentralisation improves the effectiveness and efficiency of education by responding to the needs, values, and expectations of both local and rural communities. A large part of SA could be described as rural and a large number of learners attend rural schools. This makes rural education a significant part of the South African education context. With education being decentralised, and with decentralisation being heralded as the panacea to the problems faced by rural communities as well as rural education, the assumption is that rural education should be of a high quality. This desk-top paper assesses the potential of decentralisation to improve the quality and effectiveness of South African rural education. This it does by locating decentralisation within neoliberalism which this paper argues is the impetus behind the decentralisation of South African education, and the reason for the decline in the quality and effectiveness of rural education. The paper also highlights certain tensions between the various decentralised spheres of governance, namely the central and provincial Departments of Education and school-level governance structures. The paper further indicates how these tensions potentially hamper the effectiveness and efficiency of rural education. The paper concludes with some recommendations aimed at improving rural education.

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