IMPACT OF DECENTRALIZED EDUCATION MANAGEMENT ON SCHOOL PERFORMANCE IN ANAMBRA STATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Abstract

Co-governance of education, the process of decentralising decisions on education management and shifting responsibility to the local school level, is frequently proposed as a method of improving school performance through efficient, accountable and responsive school decisions to community need. The paper presents an exploration into effects of decentralized education management on performance of secondary schools in Anambra State (Nigeria) where the state Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has adopted decentralized structures. The data were collected among 120 students, 60 teachers, and 12 administrators in six secondary schools in the three senatorial zones of Anambra state both in urban and rural settings through a mixed-method design. Management practices and performance indicators were assessed using quantitative data that was analyzed using the SPSS, whereas the interviews explored the challenges of implementation and were analyzed using NVivo. It becomes clear that decentralized practices have the positive impact of improving teacher motivation and increasing involvement of the community and yet it is slowed due to a lack of available funds, insufficient capacity, and unequal distribution of resources. There were slight gains or performance across academic levels, but with differences in urban compared to rural schools. A model of maximizing decentralization is suggested with a focus on capacity development and resource allocation equality. These observations can provide policymakers with suggestions to improve the management of schools and enhance the outputs of them in Anambra State.