SCHOOL FINANCE CONTROL MECHANISMS FOR EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN RIVERS STATE
Sr No:
Page No:
58-67
Language:
English
Authors:
Yellowe, Annette N. PhD* , NWUKE, ThankGod James PhD
Received:
2025-02-15
Accepted:
2025-02-27
Published Date:
2025-03-04
Abstract:
The study investigated school finance control mechanisms for effective
administration of senior secondary schools in Rivers State, Nigeria. Three objectives were
formulated and translated into corresponding research questions and hypotheses. A descriptive
survey research design was adopted for the study. The population consist of 6,485 academic staff
(311 principals and 6,174 teachers) in the 311 public senior secondary schools in Rivers State. A
sample size of 778 comprising 741 teachers’ and 37 Principals was selected from the population
of 6,485 academic staff. To determine the sample size 12% of the entire population was
computed. A researcher-designed instrument titled "School Finance Control Mechanisms for
Effective Administration of Senior Secondary Schools Questionnaire (SFCMEASSSQ)” was
used for data collection. The completed copies of the questionnaire were analyzed for reliability
using Cronbach Alpha Method. The reliability coefficients of 0.78, 0.81 and 0.82 were obtained
for the various clusters. Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the
research questions, while independent t-test statistics were employed to test the null hypotheses
at a 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed that budgetary planning, auditing and the
integration of these mechanisms collectively enhanced the effective administration of schools.
Significant differences were observed between principals and teachers in their opinions of some
financial control mechanisms. The study concluded that robust financial control mechanisms are
essential for the effective administration of senior secondary schools, ensuring resource
accountability, operational efficiency, and enhanced educational outcomes. It was recommended
that the Ministry of Education should develop a standardized framework for financial control
and provide regular training for school administrators on modern financial management
practices. Additionally, technology should be integrated into financial processes to ensure
transparency and efficiency.
Keywords:
School Finance, Control Mechanisms, Budgetary Planning and Auditing.