Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to assess the utilization of school grant and its contribution to
school improvement program in secondary school of Dire Dawa Administration. The research
design employed was descriptive survey design. The study mostly used systematic sampling
and available sampling techniques to gather various kinds of data with minimum resources.
The data were collected through questionnaire, interviews and documents analysis. A sample
of 6 secondary school supervisors, 30 PSTA, 35 SGC, 44 SIP Committee and 110 Teachers.
Besides, 5 school principals were interviewed and total population used for the study were
230. The data were analysed using frequency and percentage, statistics of mean, grand mean
and t-test by using SPSS version 20 computer programme .The results of the study revealed
that priority of their plan the allocation of school grant on time, the awareness, participation
of school committee, transparency and accountability, experience, follow up and in all current
status of school grant utilization were low. Furthermore, the study revealed that: lack of
committee involvement, late and irregular disbursement, and lack of matching school grant
plan with SIP priority need plan, lack of external auditing and lack of priority need to what to
be purchased were high. School grant fund utilization in need assessments was inadequate.
Most of the respondents disagree on: using effectively, participating all school community,
evaluating the progress, identifying the problems, facilitating different workshop and training
and the expenditure and balance available only displayed on the notice board of the school.
Finally, to improve the situation, it is suggested that: Education bureau should give the
awareness, different training and workshop, follow up and improve late and irregular
disbursement of school grant fund, facilitate external audit, record-keeping, focal person of
school grant at school level and school was great need for capacity building on how to keep
adequate financial records. Principals should have transparency and accountability, give
priority need and shall participate all stakeholders and committees.
