Effectiveness of School Boards in Managing Financial and Human Resources in Public Primary Schools in Nyeri County, Kenya

Abstract

In Kenya, educational reforms have resulted in Boards of Management replacing School Management Committees in overseeing the operations of basic education institutions. Boards of Management are charged with the mandate of administering and managing resources channeled to primary schools. Despite these legal provisions and the government’s financial support to the schools, is regrettable that dilapidated facilities, low performance and low morale among teaching and non-teaching staff continue to hamper the academic success of most primary schools in Kenya. This study sought to assess the effectiveness of BOMs in managing financial and human resources in public primary schools in Nyeri County, Kenya. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. Twenty one head teachers and 196 BOM members drawn from 21 public primary schools in Nyeri County participated in the study. Data was collected through validated questionnaires for head teachers and members of BOMs. The study established that BOMs were not effective in overseeing financial management in the sampled schools. However, the study established that BOMs were effective in human resource management in the sampled primary schools. The study recommended that the Ministry of Education should develop a policy framework that com