The influence of financial management on the performance of universal secondary education schools. (a case study: selected schools in Wakiso district).

Abstract

The study was about the impact of financial management on performance of Universal secondary education schools, a case study; USE schools in Wakiso District central Uganda. The study took place in selected USE schools in Wakiso District which lies south of Luweero district, west of mukono district, north of Lake Victoria, east of Mpigi and Mityana districts and which is surrounding Kampala city in Uganda. The study was guided by the following objectives; To examine the level of financial management in selected USE schools in Wakiso District., To determine the level of schools performance in selected USE schools In Wakiso District and To examine the relationship between financial management and performance of selected USE schools in Wakiso District. The study adopted a survey study design with both qualitative and quantitative approaches. A sample size of 193 respondents was taken and this was purposely and randomly chosen. The study established that the majority of USE schools in Wakiso District has low level of implementation of financial management practices and a lot has to be done with financial planning, financial organization, financial budgeting and financial transparency. The study also found out that financial management of the school has great positive influence on performance of selected USE schools in Wakiso District and the poor performance of the selected USE schools in Wakiso district is greatly contributed by poor financial management of the USE schools alongside other factors and to improve on the performance of USE schools a lot has to be done on improving financial management practices. The researcher came out with the following recommendations basing on the specific objectives of the study; The Ministry of Education and Sport, Science and Technology should ensure that they intensively train head teachers and equip the school BOG members and the district clerks with more training in financial management practices. The government should ensure that they audit and make proper follow up of the government grant to USE schools. The government should introduce good awards to better performing head teachers of the USE schools. The school administration should also look for alternative source of funding USE school and there should also be massive sensitization of parents about the payment of PTA and mid-day meal on time