Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to assess practice and challengesof decentralized school based
management and monetary decision-making in Girawa Woreda Public Secondary Schools. To
accomplish this purpose, descriptive survey study design was used. This study was carried
out in Oromia regional state, East Hararge zone three public secondary schools were selected
through available sampling techniques. The necessary data for the study was collected from
37 school leaders, and 102 teachers selected through purposive and simple random sampling
techniques respectively. Questionnaire was the main instrument of data collection. Document
analysis, and interview were also utilized to substantiate the data obtained through the
questionnaire. Percentage, frequency, standard deviation and mean were employed in
analyzing and reporting the results. Qualitative data obtained through open ended questions,
document analysis, and interview was analyzed using narration. Findings from data analysis
discovered that the performance level of school managements in exercising; academic staff
development,instructional leadership process , monitoring and evaluation process, and also
students’ academic progress were moderate. From this it is possible to conclude that school
managements were significantly exercise their roles in organizing a decentralized school based management structures in the public secondary schools of the study area except in
exercising decision-making process, school resources management and cluster supervision.
However, the findings indicated that school managements effectiveness in implementing
decentralized school based management structure was mainly affected by lack of school
facilities, lack of clarity of the roles between school managements. And also lack of
knowledge on SBM , lack of appropriate professional development for school leaders and
inadequate finances. Inaddtition to thi , it was recommended that the administrative support
from district administrative offices should also give more emphasis to the activities that have
great influence on the practices of decentralized school based management structure. This
could be attained by providing the necessary budget and supplies adequately on time. Thus,
school managements needs to device strategic and short term plan, to provide training, and
also delegating and communicating tasks to stakeholders in rank and line effectively.
