Clashes with school heads

THERE is a growing gap in the relationship between the head teachers, managers and schools board of management that has affected the overall performance of schools in the National Capital District, according to the NCD schools superintendent coordinator Maino Koloa.
Mr Koloa highlighted this at the first national education seminar, saying it and other related issues would not move NCD towards achieving better future through quality education and training by 2016.
He said unless those school leaders were provided with relevant and appropriate training and knowledge this will prevent the promotion of a friendly relationship which was lacking at the moment. 
Mr Koloa said the seminar was a good opportunity and a way to look at tangible ways and strategies to enhance, strengthen and promote the relationship among the parties involved in schools.
“Without a robust relationship among teachers, principles and the board of managements, school administration, infrastructure, financial management and accountability and curriculum implementation to promote the national education theme fall back without achieving its goals,” he said.
There are total of 44 elementary, 43 primary, nine secondary and five vocational schools in NCD which operated with board of managements.
“My school visit report tells me that there is a lack of good relationship and the components of management concepts and strategies like decision making processes, communication, planning and gender issues are also lacking,” he said.
“For instance, boards of management are continuously using the school funds without consulting the head teachers in primary schools while in secondary schools the principals hesitate to spend money on school infrastructure but spend money on teaching and learning activities,” he added.
He also said that schools were currently experiencing over-crowing in each class.
Mr Koloa said that in the second quarter of this year, there were no new classrooms, staff accommodation, science laboratories and school libraries installed from the project fees collected this year. 
However, he said the way forward was to work in collaboration and in partnership with forming the working teams, reorganising the school, delegating responsibilities, empowering and awareness.
Mr Koloa recommended the top management team to consider:
* Orientation and induction programmes be monitored and evaluated effectively;
* Policy of supervising the school boards to be developed; and
*School subsidy grant to be changed
to school maintenance infrastructure grant.