Institutional and principals’ factors influencing mobilization of financial resources in day secondary schools in Kitui central district, Kitui county, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate institutional and principals factors influencing mobilization of financial resources. The study sought to determine the influence of school size on mobilization of financial resources, principals’ exposure to management training courses, principal’s administrative experience and the challenges facing principals in mobilization of financial resources in day secondary schools. The researcher used descriptive survey design. Census sampling of the 16 public day secondary schools in Kitui Central District was done and the 16 principals were investigated. The study also investigated 48 BOG members. The researcher also gathered information from 16 head of departments from each studied school. Data were collected using the questionnaires as the main research instruments. The study established that all the principals (100%) in Kitui Central District had attended management training in addition to their professional training. The agencies which had organized the trainings includes, University which trained in the area of academics, KEMI training on management of secondary schools, KSSHA organizing heads conferences geared towards training on quality management among others. Professional growth/ training equip principals’ with management skills which include financial mobilization and management skills. The training also helped the school principals to interact with other principals facing the same challenges and therefore share on how such challenges can be handled hence improving their administrative skills. It was also established that 81.25% of day secondary schools are single streamed and that schools size influence mobilization of financial resources in that schools with more students have more sources of finance. The study also established that majority of the principals (62.5%) had administrative experience of 5 – 9 years and that the principals with more administrative experience acquire financial resource mobilization and management skills which includes management of cash receipt, payments and safeguarding cash balances. A more experienced principal is therefore better placed in resource mobilization and management than an inexperienced one. Finally, the study established that the parents(87.5%) fees/PTA payment seem to be the greatest challenge in financial resource mobilization in day secondary schools and that the school fees was the main reason why most of secondary school going age children were not in school. From the findings of this study the researcher recommended that; the Government should improve the policy on the required number of students for a secondary school to be registered, school principals should be constantly trained on financial resource management so that they can be effective in financial mobilization and management, teacher service commission should fix certain experience requirements for promoting teachers to be principals and the

Government should increase the amount of money allocated to day secondary schools so as to assist them in providing basic facilities for a school.