2. CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.6 Managing Resources in Organisations
2.6.4 Factors Hindering Resource Management
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Thus, understanding the principles of green purchasing is critical in limiting the impact that business, governments, school and corporations‟ have on natural resources, ecosystems and human well being. Through sustainable purchasing goals and policies, organisations can be more efficient at managing resources, the social and environmental risks inherent in their supply chain (MASH Organisations, 2012). It is therefore crucial that schools pursue sustainable procurement practices any time they purchase their resources for present and future well-being of their institutions.
In this case therefore, if schools are to survive in the long-run, they should have maintenance plans put in place and have adequate repairs for their resources. This explains why in this study I investigated the existence and use of school strategic/development plans for the maintenance and sustainability of resources in order to assess the ability of attaining future plans for resources in schools.
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facilities, condition of furniture, and space for equipment including specific discipline related requirements. Onuoha-Chidiebere (2011) shares the same sentiment that lack of accurate statistical data of resources is a challenge. Accurate statistical data of teaching resources are very important in the educational sector. Proper records of teaching resources (physical and material) help in effective management, utilisation and achievement of educational objectives.
Some administrators fail to provide accurate and reliable data on the number of staff, learners enrolled and even materials available. These militate against effective management and utilization of teaching resources. Also, unreliable information on the number of teachers, learners and materials available affects planning and decision making. Asiabaka (2008) adds that the most fundamental problem in facilities management is lack of policy guidelines for infrastructural development in schools. Where in some schools, there are inadequate classrooms, staff offices, libraries, laboratories and workshops, while in some, these facilities are adequately provided. In this study I sought to analyse documents „speaking‟ to statistical inventory of educational resource management in schools.
According to the 21st Century School Fund (2005) in order to increase public participation in facilities planning, there is need to create and support schools as centres of community that offer school-based support to children to eliminate barrier to success. Schools should serve the broader community, improve facilities management including maintenance, improvement programmes, secure adequate and equitable facilities funding. Policies should direct the actions of the school managers. In the absence of policy, facility management is left to the whims and caprices of the managers. Onuoha-Chidiebere (2011) argues that policy provides guidelines on the type of action to be taken on any issue. Where there is no policy, administrators will act without a guide. Ehiametalor (2003) observes that there has not been a clearly defined policy on maintenance culture in sub Saharan countries‟ schools, either in educational infrastructural facilities or instructional materials. The WB report (2010) reports that in Swaziland there is no textbook policy and this renders school operation very difficult.
The lack of guidelines and policy on maintenance, management and utilisation of educational resources can negatively affect the achievement of educational goals and objectives. Since schools are formal organisations, all activities including facilities management should be in line with laid down rules and regulations derived from overall policy guidelines. Consequently, there should not be situations where some learners are exposed to harsh weather conditions,
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while others are in air conditioned classrooms. In this study I also sought to study resource allocation practices in the research schools.
Onuoha-Chidiebere (2011) identified the following challenges to effective management and utilization of resources in Kenya: Poor maintenance culture: Facilities and instructional materials not being adequately maintained. Some administrators would prefer building new classroom instead of maintaining the old ones. Laboratories and their equipment allowed to waste, text books and other instructional materials rotting away in the cartons, instead of displaying them on the shelves for easy retrieval and usage. Inadequate Facilities and Instructional Materials: learners learn better when the facilities like buildings, comfortable seats for teachers and students, equipment, electricity and good water supply and instructional materials like good libraries with books, visual and audio-visual materials are available.
According to EDSEC Policy (2011) the available teaching resources should be managed and utilized properly. When these facilities are lacking, learners cannot learn well and these affect the achievement of educational objectives. In Swaziland, while some other schools are well equipped with facilities for effective teaching and learning, others have insufficient facilities or are poorly equipped. The management and utilisation of these teaching resources are not encouraging.
Onuoha-Chidiebere (2011) adds other challenges: Capacity of teachers to manage and use teaching resources: Most teachers are unable to update their knowledge through exposure to conferences, workshops and seminars. They do not have access to current journals, textbooks, internet facilities. Teachers rely on their old textbooks, notes and materials. This lack of exposure on the part of the teacher affects his/her management and utilisation of teaching materials. The teacher should be capable of managing and using teaching resources for effective learning to take place. Overcrowded Curriculum: When the curriculum is overcrowded, management and utilisation of teaching resources become difficult. The teacher will be rushing to cover the topics in the curriculum and no attention will be given to teaching resources in the class. According to WB report (2010), there is a concern that the curriculum is overloaded in Swaziland. This implies that, when the curriculum is overloaded, management and utilisation of teaching resources become ineffective. Bakwai (2013) highlights that continued trend of quantitative expansion and changing educational systems to fit more realistically and productively to the changing needs of society and individuals are challenges in resource management. Also, failure to raise efficiency and productivity so that schools
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contribute the most in national development within limited resources available can be another impediment.
Since educational resources play an important role in the achievement of education goals and objectives, there is need for schools to source outside help for funding, and be well equipped with data collection and analysis information to form the bases for facilities management decision. This may help improve resource availability through financial support and other forms, thus reducing some of the challenges and shortages experienced by schools. The situation of the lack of policy also applies to Swaziland; lack of book policy, lack of guidelines to resources management, maintenance, management and utilisation of teaching resources, to mention a few. It therefore becomes imperative that the different levels of government should address the issue of development and implementation of minimum standards for facilities development and management in schools. This study investigated any polices pertaining to generation and management of resources.
Sigilai (2013) identified some factors influencing curriculum implementation. These include:
influence of academic staffing and teaching and learning resources on students‟ academic achievement. When there are few teachers, the efficiency in arranging comprehensive learning experiences for learners is hindered. Further, when teachers are few and students are many, their workload becomes more, thus making it difficult for them to perform to their optimum level, to enable students to release the expected learning outcomes. Effective instruction therefore results in meaningful learning process. The ESSP (2010, p. 33), stipulates that
“educational activities should be centred on the learners for maximum self-development and self-fulfilment”.
In a study on school-based management in Indonesia; Karam, Vernez, and Marshall (2013) argue that although schools have autonomy to make independent decisions, still they had little evidence to take advantage of making independent significant instructional and operational changes in their schools. Part of the problem had to do with head teachers and teachers‟ lack of knowledge and preparedness about taking risks to make independent decisions. Districts continued to exercise a great deal of influence on school decisions and head teachers and teachers continued to defer to them for the most part. Also, both principals and teachers felt that they received inadequate support and training on SBM, and on how to make school performance improvements. The participation of school committees and more generally of
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parents in school decisions and school affairs still had to be achieved. Similarly, sharing of information and holding schools accountable was work in progress. Karam et al., (2013) in their study found that the transparency of information and accountability by the districts, parents and the local community were minimal. School committee members rarely questioned decisions made by the school, even when its chair was required to sign them. Therefore, this study set out to understand such factors affecting schools in generating and managing educational resources in creating contact with the environment. Karam et al., (2013) add that monitoring of school activities, although said to take place with some frequency by districts, seem to be rarely used for effective accountability, or for providing support for improvements.
How well head teachers are prepared to lead and how well teachers are trained, these are both associated with SBM-related outcomes as well as higher student achievement. Higher principal education is associated with higher principal influence on school operations and a larger share of discretionary budget being spent on instruction.
School heads are dynamic and life-giving elements in schools. This implies that they should be strategic in accomplishing as much as possible organisational goals with minimum resources available. School managers must be productive, that is, effectively perform basic managerial and non-managerial activities. They should apply basic knowledge and show preparedness in taking risks for their schools to attain educational goals. In Swaziland such challenges as lack of a clearly defined policy on maintenance culture of resources, lack of proper funding for resources procurement, no proper storage of resources, lack of support for training of administrators and improvement of schools, fear to take risks in decisions by schools, are likely to affect schools‟ operation. Therefore, in this study I sought to investigate factors affecting educational resource management.