5. CHAPTER FIVE: DATA PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION
5.6 Theme Four: Sustainable Practices in Resource Generation and Management
5.6.2 HTs Sustainable Practices in Managing Resources
Table 5.12: HTs Views on Sustainable Practices in Managing Resource Statements Not at all (f) To a little
Extent (f)
Moderate Successful (f)
Very Successful (f)
Careful selection of material and facilities
- - 2 3
Formulation of plans to achieve objectives
- - - 5
Categorizing resources or facilities
- - 2 3
Delegate resource jobs to committee
- - 1 4
Have proper facility inventories for resources
- -
-
1 4
Avoid resource wastage through maintenance
- - 1 4
Arrange proper space and storage of resources
- - 1 4
Keeping periodic verification of stock
- - 1 4
Employing new
techniques in resource management
- - 1 4
All the five participant HTs who responded reported the need for careful selection of materials and facilities and forming plans to achieve objectives. Also categorising resources, delegating resource jobs to committees and employing new techniques, among others were suggested as sustainable practices of managing resources in schools. I discovered that the responses appealed to the need to empower school managers with new methods and techniques of dealing with resources in schools.
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Further, going to interviews with the same participants, I asked them to suggest best practices for sustaining educational resources in the schools. Responses were centred on the following views:
One practice raised by HTs was the issue of using information communication technology (ICT) equipment in schools for different activities.
The use of ICT can help reduce the wastage of resources because those in charge of the resources would have to account for missing tools. (Miko HT).
Another HT said:
Buying technological materials as a cluster can help curb wastages when it comes to resource planning. When some of the resources are outdated or redundant they can be replaced easily than a huge loss falling on one school. (Mass HT).
Masiko HT raised a point on delegation of responsibilities to individuals:
It would be good to appoint resources to wardens like clerical officers and set committees that would ensure their sustainability and care. (Masiko HT).
Malta HT elaborated on the same idea:
The resource wardens or committees would have their own principles of operation and this can increase the life span of educational facilities in schools. (Malta HT).
Another HT participant suggested the need to assign duties to others as a management function.
Delegation of duties is part of the management functions of school administration. So resources should be appointed to resource wardens or clerical officers who should inform about resource needs for maintenance. (MIko HT).
Participants also suggested the importance of teaching stakeholders about resources.
It is important to remind learners and staff about the need to save resources for example, to attach notices to switches and exit points to remind users to turn off lights and other appliances. (Mass HT).
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Several of the HTs suggested the need for having a constant flow of funding in schools to support learners from poor backgrounds and that the finance could help in school operation.
One HT remarked:
School resource management is a sensitive issue, some school principals have lost jobs on the issue of finances, so it is important to educate those involved with school resources on skills for the proper management of such. (Masiko HT).
Miko HT also commented:
The income received for running the school is far less than the expenditure required.
As a result, the school’s activities do not run smoothly because no financial plans are properly in place. This results in my school not fulfilling its role of providing quality and equal education to learners from poverty stricken homes. (Miko HT).
Another HT mentioned the need for connecting with outside stakeholders for resource support in schools:
Create a data base for funders, having a stable source of funding for efficient teaching and learning, support of educational resources and investing on legal fundraising strategies for the generation of educational resources. (Malta HT).
A number of participating HTs suggested that schools needed to practise developing rapport, alliances and partnerships with suppliers, communities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and companies to support education with finances for resources.
One HT specifically said:
A school can easily get funders and suppliers to buy or construct facilities for the schools together, for example, weather stations, build new structures. (Mass HT).
Some of the participating HTs also supported this view. To illustrate:
Some companies can pledge to replace outdated resources in the schools. They can mind the compatibility of the equipment and can give new and current information for teaching and learning, like ICT equipment. (Mango HT).
147 Another participating HT added:
Bringing all stakeholders on board with information flow on how to take care of the resources (learners, parents, and teachers) and what is expected of each stakeholder can help schools sustain their resources. (Masiko HT).
Another participant HT suggested giving incentives.
Give incentive to HTs, HODs, teachers and learners (stakeholders) for taking good care the resources and spending lucratively on resources in that department. This could increase the life span and security of resources. (Miko HT).
The issue of policy governing educational resource management in schools was also proposed by some HTs.
There is need to have a policy that can govern everything in the school, that is, furniture, equipment, text book rentals etc. Implementing what is in the policies can help in order to sustain resources in schools. This is to avoid solving problems impromptu. (Mango HT) commented.
One HT emphasised this issue:
There is a great need to have a text book policy to regulate the use of books in schools because there is none at the moment. The absence of such a policy leads to irregularities in the school planning, control and operation. Policy must be put into practice than to leave it on paper only. (Mega HT).
Another HT suggested specific policies for schools:
Schools should have a resource mobilisation policy, text book policy, maintenance and management policy. Have a resource management committee to help stakeholders mind the security of resources in the schools. (Miko HT).
One dynamic that emerged regarding sustainable practices in resource generation and management as perceived by HTs the need to encourage the use of ICT for inventory control.
Another was related to having policies to govern school operations on resources. Another dynamic was the need to form PPPs to sustain educational resources. Yet another one was about having a continuous flow of funding in schools. Another was delegation of resource
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responsibilities to wardens. The view on policies was an eye opener to me that there were challenges on operation and functionality of schools regarding educational resources.