Accountability and school operations.pptx

the significance of accountability to the school operation

1. ACCOUNTABILITY AND EFFECTIVE SCHOOL OPERATION By Professor R. A. Alani Department of Educational Management University of Lagos Akoka - Yaba Lagos

2. What is Accountability? Accountability has different meanings. 1. It is the need to provide feedback on the performance of employees to superiors or a body that can influence performance through the use of sanctions or incentives. This performance focuses on how schools and their personnel are responding to the needs of students and the society . 2. It can mean efficient use of resources provided to schools to achieve educational objectives and goals. Accountability tends to enhance productivity of a school . 3. It can also refer to a process whereby each school personnel is answerable to a superior for the performance of his duties within a timeline to achieve educational objectives and goals.

3. Accountability for What? Money They have to account for the sources of fund (where they are asked to collect fees), expenditures (when they expend funds) and the judicious use of such funds (because funds available to schools are limited compared with their needs).

4. Accountability for What? (contd) In schools, those who collect funds are not the ones rendering account. There can be problems with financial management. First , a school may not be able to collect transportation levy where parents withdraw their children mid-term. Second , school personnel may incur expenditure not approved by somebody who has authority to do so. Third , misapplication of funds may arise where funds are diverted from other charges to execute certain project. Having relevant personnel in schools will help to protect school funds and its judicious use. Heads should monitor collection of funds by junior staff.

5. Accountability for What? (contd) 2 . Materials Accountability also involves itemizing and accounting for school materials, equipment, etc . This does not mean keeping away school supplies away from staff and students to prevent theft or damage. But, materials should be available to staff and students, used reasonably and safely kept for long-term benefit.

6. Accountability for What? (contd) An Inventory Book on school materials and equipment should be kept . Students and staff should be held accountable for their use . Rules and regulations for the use of school property are important. Wastage should be avoided by scrutinizing the needs of the school before materials are procured.

7. Accountability for What? (contd) 3. Deeds A school is a bureaucratic organization with well stated organogram. Each personnel is responsible to the person directly above him/her on the organogram. An employee must be able to identify his immediate superior and the functions he is expected to perform.

8. Accountability for What? (contd) He/she is accountable for the functions of his/her office guided by the rules and regulations . However, accountability for deeds does not mean rigid compliance with rules and regulations . Accountability for deeds also looks at the degree of control which the school head allows within a school. Does he allow science students and arts students to be in separate classes?

9. Accountability for What? (contd) What discretion does he give to students to choose subjects? Should a primary school head allow pupils not in the final class write Common Entrance Examination to the secondary school? Do we hold a school head accountable for complying or not complying with rules set by some people who do not have first-hand information as he/she has?

10. Accountability for What? (contd) 4. Results . Accountability for results should not be limited to examination results alone. Instead , the school should help in producing school leavers who possess knowledge/abilities, skills and character. School personnel and other educational administrators should therefore work towards meeting this objective. School system has to devise ways of measuring educational results (cognitive, affective and psychomotor) and a yardstick for monitoring how functional and productive their products have become .

11. Accountability for What? (contd) Teachers alone cannot be held accountable for results in examinations. Socio-economic status of parents, home support given to students, peer groups influence, resource availability in schools, etc . have to be considered too. For teachers to be held accountable for pupils’ achievement, the impact of teachers’ efforts on learning would have to be separated from other influences. This is not to say that teachers should not account for their stewardship . School administrators are more accountable for pupils’ achievement since they have to create conducive atmosphere for teachers and pupils to perform.

12. Who is accountable? School personnel (teachers and school heads) can be held accountable for the use of educational resources to bring about productivity. Students , inspectors, government, boards of education, parents and the society should equally be held accountable for what goes on in the school system. For instance, if the schools are to be held responsible for their products, the government/proprietors must also be held responsible for the quality of schools. At the school level, school heads and teachers are accountable because they must show evidence of their stewardship.

13. Discipline in Schools Disciplinary measures are often taken to promote accountability in the school system. Acts of Indiscipline Acts of indiscipline among staff members: lateness to school, absenteeism, absence from class, indecent/improper dressing, negligence of duty, etc. Acts of professional misconduct include having inappropriate relationship with students, misappropriation of school funds, falsification of school records, insubordination, engaging in commercial activities during school hours, among others.

14. Causes of Indiscipline Causes: School authority, school administrator(s), and the society and parents . Inadequate facilities, appointment of unqualified teachers and poor conditions of service for teachers may occur due to ineffective school management. A school administrator may fail to promote good working relationship with staff, may adopt unsuitable leadership style or fail to pass necessary information to staff. Parents who induce teachers to curry favour from them create disciplinary problems. The society that places more value on material wealth than integrity may also cause school personnel to devise means of getting rich quick by tampering with school funds.

15. Preventing Disciplinary Problems Among Staff In the process of selecting, training, evaluating employees, some unacceptable behaviours could be prevented. Unsatisfactory behaviours can be corrected by: holding informal discussions with affected staff conducting orientation programmes for staff where rules and regulations can be passed on to members of staff. personal examples shown by administrators and his assistants.

16. Preventing Disciplinary Problems Among Staff ( contd ) putting effective communication system in place . providing needed materials and facilities to promote teaching – learning process and the welfare of staff . rewarding those who exhibit the desired behaviour . finding out what reinforces the unacceptable behaviour. Is it encouragement from peer group? Once the behaviour is not reinforced, it may abate.

17. Investigating Disciplinary Problems Investigation should be conducted according to laid down procedure. The booklet on the conditions of service should spell out the procedure for such investigation. Such investigation will serve as a basis for determining the disciplinary action to be taken against any staff member and to ensure that people are not unjustly punished . It may also lead to a review of organizational policies and rules. If certain rules are violated regularly, they may have to be reviewed .

18. Investigating Disciplinary Problems ( contd ) Where severe disciplinary actions are involved, there is the need for caution especially where the affected person can appeal to a higher authority or the law court. Where the disciplinary action is reversed, the person who initiated the action may ignore similar behaviour in the future rather than lose face again. Resources will also be wasted on needless litigation.

19. Investigating Disciplinary Problems ( contd ) There is the need to protect the right to fair hearing because decisions of schools can be reversed by law courts . Fair hearing implies that: - A person must be told the allegations against him/her The evidence that has been provided against him/her must be made available to him/her. The person is given the opportunity to defend him/herself. Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) explains the right to fair hearing . Once the procedure for taking disciplinary measure against any erring staff or student has been written in black and white, it has to be followed.

20. Disciplinary Measures Against Staff Disciplinary measures against staff vary from warning to termination, dismissal, compulsory retirement or demotion depending on the gravity of the offence. Any acts of professional misconduct may lead to severe disciplinary action. If a teacher’s appointment is confirmed, the procedure laid down in the conditions of service must be followed.

21. General Comments on Punishment Punishment should focus on a specific act, not on the person or on his general pattern of behaviour to remove arbitrariness. Punishment should be consistent across persons and across time. Staff, whether they possess scarce skills or not should be treated equally. Inadequacies should attract attention of school management when school work is going on smoothly and when there is a major problem, to promote discipline.

22. General Comments on Punishment ( contd ) 3. Punishment should have information value . Reasons for the punishment should be given. These should explain the undesirability of the behaviour, the correction required from the staff and the consequences of continued violation of school rules.

23. Conclusion School administrators should emphasise self-discipline among staff and students. Punishment should be a last resort to enforce discipline in the school system.

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25. Case Study Johnson has been employed as Accounts Clerk for more than 10 years at Ona Ara Secondary School, Oja Ale. He was quiet, dependable and competent on the job. Mr. Alasco , the Proprietor, was amazed when the external auditor discovered at the end of the 2013/2014 academic year that there was a shortage of ₦50,000. Mr. Alasco was surprised when Johnson confessed that he spent the money. Johnson used the money to offset the medical expenses he incurred on the treatment of his child during the session.

26. Case study (contd) The medical allowance given to Johnson was not enough to offset the medical expenses he incurred on the child. In his discussion with the school principal, Alasco , the Proprietor, kept on repeating the same question. Why did Johnson not inform the school authority that he needed money instead of stealing it? Alasco retorted “he should have known that we had helped people like him in the past. Apart from that we could have helped obtain financial assistance from one charity organization”. What should we do?

27. Case study (contd) Questions: What conditions within the school might have helped to create this disciplinary problem? What decision(s) would you advise Mr. Alasco and/or the Principal to take?