The practices of educational materials management and utilization in secondary schools of Jimma town

Abstract

Resource management and utilization is an integral part of the overall management of the school. Education in a school is determined by provision of resources, their maximum utilization and management. Advances in science and technology necessitates that the school manager should adopt modern methods of facilities management in order to improve the quality of teaching and learning. The quality of school facilities, teaching and learning materials, teaching personnel and the education process will eventually determine the instructional programmers and performance of the school. The main purpose of this study was to assess educational resource management and utilization for quality education. In order to meet the objectives of the study, a descriptive survey design was employed. From the total population 93 academic staff and 21 administrated staff were selected for this study. Four principal, one office supervisor and three curriculum officers were also selected using purposive sampling. Questionnaires and interview were used for collecting data. The questionnaires were piloted and checked for their reliability. The data obtained through the questionnaires were analyzed using frequency, percentages, mean, standard deviations, t-tests, and rank correlation. The information obtained through open-ended questionnaires and the interviews were qualitatively analyzed to supplement the quantitative data. The study found out that Facilities like desks and chairs in the library and utilization of Text books was adequately available. Particularly the practices need assessment, selection, purchasing, distribution and inventory control of educational materials was medium. Farther more, poor laboratory service, less position of pedagogical center service, less position in terms of practice resource utilization, poor maintenance activity in the schools and there was shortage of current reference books in the library . Moreover, Lack of training for staff s, Lack of good planning skills, Lack of users’ skills, Problems of good storage and handling, lack of proper distribution and Environmental factors like rain are factors that affect educational materials management and utilization. Based on these findings, the study recommends that secondary schools in the Town should better do more to increase the level of teacher’s and all stakeholders’ participations in all aspects education in relation to materials management and utilization, fulfill the necessary equipments and lab technicians in schools laboratories, pedagogical center facilities, fulfill current reference books and increase facilities like chairs and desks in the library, expending a great deal of effort to maintain school facilities and equipment and training should be given to all stakeholder to handle all the material resource in the school. These findings may enable the government and other stake holders to take appropriate action to ensure there are enough facilities with good managing and utilizing in order to improve the quality of education in secondary schools of Jimma Town.