The teaching of financial management principles to school leaders in disadvantaged schools
- Authors: Griesel, Issabella
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Education -- South Africa -- Finance , School management and organization -- South Africa , School budgets -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DEd
- Identifier: vital:9446 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1538 , Education -- South Africa -- Finance , School management and organization -- South Africa , School budgets -- South Africa
- Description: The objective of this study was to find out how a course in School Financial Management should be designed and presented in order to bring about an improvement in the practice of school financial management in disadvantaged schools in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The study was conducted in the interpretive and critical theory paradigms, and employed a qualitative empirical approach. The focus of the research was two cohorts of school leaders taking part in the Advanced Certificate in Education: School Management and Leadership programme at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth. The researcher presented a course in Financial Management to both of these cohorts, and employed an action research method in her research, introducing the insights and lessons learned from teaching the first cohort in the design and teaching of the second cohort. Data were collected in various ways, including written assignments of students, class discussions, personal interviews and document analyses. More data were collected during school visits at which the researcher observed the level of financial practice at schools, and could also, from the one-to-one interactions with the students, identify the issues that were still problematic to them. Another aspect of the data gathering process was the detailed analysis of the section on Financial Management in the ACE study material provided by the Department of Education. This enabled the researcher to compare her study material and teaching approach to that of the Department’s study material, so as to ascertain which content and methods of teaching were best suited to bringing about an improvement in practice. The study’s main findings were that designers of such programmes in Financial Management should focus on basic Accounting principles and avoid an overload of content of issues which are “good to know”, but do not contribute to the understanding of Accounting principles necessary for the drawing up of financial statements. The method of teaching should predominantly be an interactive approach based on adult learning principles, with enough time for students to complete certain assignments and activities with feedback by the lecturer. The role v of mentors and of the lecturer visiting schools was emphasised as one of the key ways to assist participants in implementing what they had learned. The most important recommendations emanating from the study were the suggestion that the Department of Education should play a bigger formational role in providing feedback to schools on the financial statements submitted to the Department by these schools, the rethinking of the Department of Education’s module on Financial Management in the ACE for School Principals, and the development of a follow-up course in which all the additional aspects of School Financial Management could be included.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Griesel, Issabella
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Education -- South Africa -- Finance , School management and organization -- South Africa , School budgets -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DEd
- Identifier: vital:9446 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1538 , Education -- South Africa -- Finance , School management and organization -- South Africa , School budgets -- South Africa
- Description: The objective of this study was to find out how a course in School Financial Management should be designed and presented in order to bring about an improvement in the practice of school financial management in disadvantaged schools in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The study was conducted in the interpretive and critical theory paradigms, and employed a qualitative empirical approach. The focus of the research was two cohorts of school leaders taking part in the Advanced Certificate in Education: School Management and Leadership programme at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth. The researcher presented a course in Financial Management to both of these cohorts, and employed an action research method in her research, introducing the insights and lessons learned from teaching the first cohort in the design and teaching of the second cohort. Data were collected in various ways, including written assignments of students, class discussions, personal interviews and document analyses. More data were collected during school visits at which the researcher observed the level of financial practice at schools, and could also, from the one-to-one interactions with the students, identify the issues that were still problematic to them. Another aspect of the data gathering process was the detailed analysis of the section on Financial Management in the ACE study material provided by the Department of Education. This enabled the researcher to compare her study material and teaching approach to that of the Department’s study material, so as to ascertain which content and methods of teaching were best suited to bringing about an improvement in practice. The study’s main findings were that designers of such programmes in Financial Management should focus on basic Accounting principles and avoid an overload of content of issues which are “good to know”, but do not contribute to the understanding of Accounting principles necessary for the drawing up of financial statements. The method of teaching should predominantly be an interactive approach based on adult learning principles, with enough time for students to complete certain assignments and activities with feedback by the lecturer. The role v of mentors and of the lecturer visiting schools was emphasised as one of the key ways to assist participants in implementing what they had learned. The most important recommendations emanating from the study were the suggestion that the Department of Education should play a bigger formational role in providing feedback to schools on the financial statements submitted to the Department by these schools, the rethinking of the Department of Education’s module on Financial Management in the ACE for School Principals, and the development of a follow-up course in which all the additional aspects of School Financial Management could be included.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
A critical perspective of national norms and standards of school funding in Eastern Cape East London District
- Authors: Mamatu, Ntombizonke Lydia
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Education and state -- South Africa , Education -- South Africa -- Finance , School management and organization -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Public schools -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Poverty -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Soc Sc (Dev)
- Identifier: vital:11413 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/303 , Education and state -- South Africa , Education -- South Africa -- Finance , School management and organization -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Public schools -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Poverty -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: Education policies remain a contested terrain in both the social and political environments. They are not neutral instruments and are used both to maintain the existing social order and also to promote varying kinds of change or mobility. The South African Schools Act, 1996 (Act 84 of 1996) hereafter SASA, which is the source of all policies that regulate school issues in South Africa promotes democratic methods of school governing and education provisioning that favours the previously disadvantaged groups. The NNSSF is one of the policies of SASA that makes schooling accessible to the poor through school fee exemptions while attempting to close the gap between the rich and the poor through differentiated school funding created according to researched poverty levels and standardized target lists. This has been designed to fulfil one of the essential human rights of man- education that has been entrenched in the Bill of Rights of the Republic of South Africa Constitution, 1996 (Act 108 of 1996) hereafter, Constitution. Thus, the study’s objective is to evaluate the implementation of the NNSSF policy in public schools focussing on school fee exemptions. The extent to which poor parents and learners are given school fee exemptions as they are supposed to according to the policy will be indicators of whether the NNSSF is justly or unjustly implemented in public schools. Learners are the recipients of the right to education. Parents are given the responsibility to fund the education of their children. However, for poor parents to fulfil that they need advice and assistance from the teachers and SGBs to be able to access the school fee exemptions while they have a right to just administrative action and to human dignity in dealing with them. SGBs and teachers have to create a favourable environment for the just implementation of the NNSSF by advising and xiii assisting deserving parents and learners to access school fee exemptions so that the right to education is fulfilled. The duty of in loco parentis and acting in the best interest of the child enforce teachers to do everything possible to ensure that learners access education. EDOs are supposed to guide, monitor and supervise the implementation of the policy while legal bodies should assist parents and learners to demand their right when it is violated through litigation. The study used the method of survey which is quantitative and interviews which are qualitative. Questionnaires and interview schedules were tools used to collect data that was analysed through statistical methods and represented in the form of tables and pie-charts. Various significant findings were made that had a bearing on the implementation of the NNSSF policy in public schools, most important to note is that some learners who have the right to education are aware of this right but do not know how to ensure that it is not violated. Parents are not given the opportunity to decide whether school fees should be charged in their schools. Above that they are not given the advice they need to be able to access school fee exemptions. Some teachers think that by advising and assisting learners and parents they will be buying cheap popularity- showing ignorance. EDOs do not know how schools implement the NNSSF, they are not involved in anyway. Thus the study views the implementation of NNSSF policy in public schools as unjust and recommends that SGBs and teachers need to be educated, guided and monitored by the EDOs on the policy and its implementation. They in turn will have to educate parents and learners so that they are able to access school fee exemptions thereby receiving education – their right.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Mamatu, Ntombizonke Lydia
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Education and state -- South Africa , Education -- South Africa -- Finance , School management and organization -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Public schools -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Poverty -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Soc Sc (Dev)
- Identifier: vital:11413 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/303 , Education and state -- South Africa , Education -- South Africa -- Finance , School management and organization -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Public schools -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Poverty -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: Education policies remain a contested terrain in both the social and political environments. They are not neutral instruments and are used both to maintain the existing social order and also to promote varying kinds of change or mobility. The South African Schools Act, 1996 (Act 84 of 1996) hereafter SASA, which is the source of all policies that regulate school issues in South Africa promotes democratic methods of school governing and education provisioning that favours the previously disadvantaged groups. The NNSSF is one of the policies of SASA that makes schooling accessible to the poor through school fee exemptions while attempting to close the gap between the rich and the poor through differentiated school funding created according to researched poverty levels and standardized target lists. This has been designed to fulfil one of the essential human rights of man- education that has been entrenched in the Bill of Rights of the Republic of South Africa Constitution, 1996 (Act 108 of 1996) hereafter, Constitution. Thus, the study’s objective is to evaluate the implementation of the NNSSF policy in public schools focussing on school fee exemptions. The extent to which poor parents and learners are given school fee exemptions as they are supposed to according to the policy will be indicators of whether the NNSSF is justly or unjustly implemented in public schools. Learners are the recipients of the right to education. Parents are given the responsibility to fund the education of their children. However, for poor parents to fulfil that they need advice and assistance from the teachers and SGBs to be able to access the school fee exemptions while they have a right to just administrative action and to human dignity in dealing with them. SGBs and teachers have to create a favourable environment for the just implementation of the NNSSF by advising and xiii assisting deserving parents and learners to access school fee exemptions so that the right to education is fulfilled. The duty of in loco parentis and acting in the best interest of the child enforce teachers to do everything possible to ensure that learners access education. EDOs are supposed to guide, monitor and supervise the implementation of the policy while legal bodies should assist parents and learners to demand their right when it is violated through litigation. The study used the method of survey which is quantitative and interviews which are qualitative. Questionnaires and interview schedules were tools used to collect data that was analysed through statistical methods and represented in the form of tables and pie-charts. Various significant findings were made that had a bearing on the implementation of the NNSSF policy in public schools, most important to note is that some learners who have the right to education are aware of this right but do not know how to ensure that it is not violated. Parents are not given the opportunity to decide whether school fees should be charged in their schools. Above that they are not given the advice they need to be able to access school fee exemptions. Some teachers think that by advising and assisting learners and parents they will be buying cheap popularity- showing ignorance. EDOs do not know how schools implement the NNSSF, they are not involved in anyway. Thus the study views the implementation of NNSSF policy in public schools as unjust and recommends that SGBs and teachers need to be educated, guided and monitored by the EDOs on the policy and its implementation. They in turn will have to educate parents and learners so that they are able to access school fee exemptions thereby receiving education – their right.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Evaluating the district office budgeting process of the Department of Education in terms of the Batho Pele principles
- Authors: Gorgonzola, Ernest
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: South Africa. Dept. of Education -- Appropriations and expenditures , Budget -- South Africa , Education -- South Africa -- Finance
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:10926 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/165 , South Africa. Dept. of Education -- Appropriations and expenditures , Budget -- South Africa , Education -- South Africa -- Finance
- Description: The objective of this research was to evaluate the district office budgeting process of the Department of Education, Port Elizabeth District, in terms of the Batho Pele principles. The aim of district offices is to satisfy the most basic education needs of people in their respective areas of jurisdiction. Improving service delivery is one of government’s eight priorities as set out in the White Paper on the transformation of the Public Service (South African Government, 1995: 4). The initiative to improve service delivery is called Batho Pele. The main research question to be addressed by this research is: Does the Department of Education experience any problems with its budgeting process to address service delivery? Through a literature survey and empirical study, various conclusions were reached and recommendations made. The bulk of education expenditure takes place within education districts but the controlling, forecasting and budgeting of expenditure takes place at the Provincial Head Office. Most high schools surveyed experience problems with the current funding policy of the Department of Education. The relative poverty of the community around the school impacts negatively on the parent’s ability to support the school. iv The budgeting process of the Department of Education should follow a bottom-up approach to budgeting. Therefore, the district office budget should be informed by the needs of the school and the provincial budget be informed by the district office budget. The management and administrative capacity at the district office need to be developed to ensure effective budgeting.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
- Authors: Gorgonzola, Ernest
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: South Africa. Dept. of Education -- Appropriations and expenditures , Budget -- South Africa , Education -- South Africa -- Finance
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:10926 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/165 , South Africa. Dept. of Education -- Appropriations and expenditures , Budget -- South Africa , Education -- South Africa -- Finance
- Description: The objective of this research was to evaluate the district office budgeting process of the Department of Education, Port Elizabeth District, in terms of the Batho Pele principles. The aim of district offices is to satisfy the most basic education needs of people in their respective areas of jurisdiction. Improving service delivery is one of government’s eight priorities as set out in the White Paper on the transformation of the Public Service (South African Government, 1995: 4). The initiative to improve service delivery is called Batho Pele. The main research question to be addressed by this research is: Does the Department of Education experience any problems with its budgeting process to address service delivery? Through a literature survey and empirical study, various conclusions were reached and recommendations made. The bulk of education expenditure takes place within education districts but the controlling, forecasting and budgeting of expenditure takes place at the Provincial Head Office. Most high schools surveyed experience problems with the current funding policy of the Department of Education. The relative poverty of the community around the school impacts negatively on the parent’s ability to support the school. iv The budgeting process of the Department of Education should follow a bottom-up approach to budgeting. Therefore, the district office budget should be informed by the needs of the school and the provincial budget be informed by the district office budget. The management and administrative capacity at the district office need to be developed to ensure effective budgeting.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
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