HEADTEACHERS’ PREPAREDNESS IN MANAGING FINANCES IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN RACHUONYO NORTH SUB COUNTY, HOMA BAY COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

The Kenya government and donor communities are investing large sums of money in free primary education which is vital to the general development of the school. It is against this background that this study sought to establish headteachers’ preparedness in managing finances in public primary schools specifically in Rachuonyo North Sub-county, Kenya. The study aimed to specifically answer various research questions which include; what knowledge and skills do headteachers require in effective financial management? What are the financial management challenges head teachers’ experience? And what are the appropriate ways of addressing challenges facing headteachers in financial management in Rachuonyo North Sub-County? The study adopted concurrent mixed methods designs whereby concurrent triangulation strategy was applied. From the target population of 166 schools, stratified random sampling technique was adopted to select primary schools on the basis of zones, thereafter simple random sampling was used to select 33 (20%) schools and from each school the sample participants included; headteachers, BOM representative plus Sub County Director of Education.The researcher administered questionnaires to the headteachers while interview guides was employed to collect data from the BOM representatives and the Sub County Director of Education. The SPSS was used for data analysis. The results show that most headteachers took time as classroom teachers before being promoted to administrative position of headteacher the majority going up to between 16 to 20 years. Yet, they were not exposed to management of school finances hence they might not have been well prepared for it. The researcher concludes that Headteachers of Rachuonyo North Sub-County are prepared to manage school finances only to a little extent.