Abstract:
This study tried to examine Community Participation in Managing Secondary Schools of East
Hararghe Zone, Oromia Regional State. The research design employed in the study was descriptive
survey. Questionnaire, interview and document analysis were used to collect data from 71 teachers, 6
principals, 6 supervisors, 33 PTA heads, 35 KETB. The collected data were analyzed quantitatively by
using descriptive and inferential statistics, and the data gathered through interview and documents
were analyzed qualitatively through narration. Similarly, t-test was used to check whether there was a
significant difference between the groups of respondents. The findings of the study indicated that there
was low community participation in the secondary schools of the study areas. The study also identified
major challenges that hinder community participation in the schools under study as well as possible
solutions to those challenges. The major conclusions reached by the study include: failure of the
principals in getting the committees in planning, implementing and monitoring and evaluating of the
overall activities of the schools; their failure to manage the community participation properly; failure
of principals and woreda education offices to build the capacity of KETB and PTA through training as
well as to motivate, empower and encourage them in running their roles. Besides, failures of the
school leaders and the district education officers to create suitable conditions, to establish effective
and efficient communication systems and to take the feed-backs of the KETB and PTA members and to
reach on immediate decisions were presented. Major recommendations includes that zone
administrative department and woreda education offices should build the capacity of principals and
supervisors; woreda education offices, supervisors and principals should build the capacity of the
KETB and PTA through regular trainings and empower and encourage them on participating in overall activities of the schools as well as allow them to monitor and evaluate the performance of the
schools. Generally, the researcher recommended that the education managements of different levels
should strive to create suitable conditions for KETB and PTA members of their schools to promote
active participation of the local community in secondary schools of the study areas.
