Effective management of early childhood centres in government primary schools of Chavuma District in North-Western Province -Zambia

Abstract

The study was conducted to investigate whether or not there was effective management of ECC's in government primary schools of Chavuma district in North Western Province. In order to successfully conduct this study three independent variable were tested and these were the provision of teaching and learning aids, support of teacher group meetings and teacher monitoring by educational managers charged with the responsibility. These independent variables were supported by the study objectives which mainly hinged on the role of educational managers in supporting, providing and implementing the study variables to achieve effective management of ECE in primary schools of Chavuma district. Others included teachers' views on school manager's support on effective management of ECC in the primary schools of Chavuma District. The other study objectives hinged on parental involvement on effective management of ECE and the various challenges school management faced when enforcing their roles on effective management of ECE in government primary schools. The research design that was employed was a descriptive survey which was supported by a qualitative method. The targeted population was forty eight (48) which was both purposefully and randomly chosen. Data collection instruments used were questionnaires, interview guides and checklists. Data collected was later analysed using Microsoft Excel thematically, by document analysis and in verbatim form. The study using the three independent variables showed that, for a teacher to be effective in his or her duty depends on the roles played by educational managers thereby proving the conceptual and theoretical frameworks employed in this study. The findings showed that there was adequate implementation of teacher monitoring and teacher group meeting support by educational managers at both DEBS and school management levels. On the other hand, the study indicates that there was inadequate provision of teaching and learning aids in the ECC as indicated in the findings. Some of the most pertinent teaching and learning materials which schools under this study lacked were infrastructure (classroom blocks) appropriate for learners at this level. Other findings also show that seventy-five (75) per cent of the parents interviewed prepared food for their children when going to school and at the same time provided some of the teaching and learning materials. On the challenges that school managers faced in enforcing their roles are; poor sanitations such as water points, lack of appropriate toilets for learners at this level and transfers of teachers from their schools to towns leaving behind pupils without anyone to attend to them. The study recommended that government through the Ministry of General Education provide appropriate infrastructure such as classroom blocks for learners at this level. The study further recommended that government through the Ministry of General Education should procure appropriate teaching and learning materials such as crayons, balls, books and furniture, sink boreholes that provide running water for learners to use at this level. It was recommended that DEBS employ teachers willing to serve in rural area and that head teachers apply for funds from Constituency Development Fund and other Non Governmental organisations to put up infrastructure that can support the teaching and learning of pupils in ECEC's. In addition, it was recommended that head teachers make use of government grant and other sources of income to procure appropriate teaching and learning materials for learners at EC level and at the same time encourage teachers as much as possible to improvise teaching and learning aids for learners at this level.