SOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON BETTER MANAGEMENT OF SCHOOL FUNDS IN NIGERIA

According to the ADEA Newsletter (January – March, 1998) “the poor management of education systems in Africa was considered by many to be the number one constraint towards making progress in attaining educational goals in Africa. Furthermore, budgetary constraints and the increasing demand for education area urging educational planners and economist to develop new strategies and techniques for financing education”.
The present arrangement whereby educational services are duplicated by the three levels of government in the country does not augur well for the principles of democratization of education. Consequently, the following recommendations are hereby made for better management and funding or education industry in Nigeria.

i) Federal Government and Education:
Under the principle of devolution of responsibilities for education, provision for all forms of primary and secondary education presently run directly or indirectly by the federal government in the name of unity schools, command schools etc., should be handed over to the appropriate level of government, state and local for funding and management while the Federal government should confine it self to the funding and management of higher education. This will obliterate duplication educational service and setting up of different standards.

ii) State Government and Education:
The state government should fund and manage all forms of secondary education in the country while the Federal Ministry of Education provides Inspectorate Services for maintenance of standards and uniformity of curriculum. The state governments should hands-off in the provision of higher education or primary education of any form.

iii) Local Government and Education:
The entire funding and management of primary education should be the responsibility of Local Government. The inspectorate division of the state Ministry of Education should supervise teaching and learning and facilities in the local schools to ensure that standard is maintained.

iv) Revision of the Present Revenue Allocation Formular:
In the light of the financial implications entailed in each level of government funding its appropriate level of education, the present revenue allocation formula should be revised to enable both state and local governments to have enough funds for their education service while a monitoring mechanism should be put in place to ensure accountability in performance by each level of government

v) Adoption of Modern Management Techniques in the Management:
Education industry has joined the “cult of efficiency” (Horton et al, 1970) which modern organization are know for. For that reason, modern management techniques such as Management by Objectives, Programme – Planning – Budgeting system, Programme, Evaluation and Review Technique, Critical Path Method, Dephi Technique etc. should be employed in the allocation of human and material resources in education for implementation of various education programmes. This agrees wit the view of Nwadiani (1998:63) that “professionally trained educational planners and administrators equipped with modern techniques of educational management and accountability should be in charge”.