Challenges in the administration of senior high schools in the Kpeshie sub metro of the Accra metropolitan education directorate

Abstract

The administration of Secondary Schools today, according to Alani (2000), can no longer be reduced to rule-of-thumb since schools are becoming increasingly complex. The purpose of the study was to identify the challenges faced by administrators in the administration of Senior High Schools in the Kpeshie Sub Metropolitan Education Directorate of the Accra Metropolitan area. In all, 5 day and boarding public Senior High Schools were used in the study. The schools were purposively selected and census sampling was used to obtain respondents. The main instrument used in collecting the data for the study was the questionnaire. Open and closed questions were used to illicit information from respondents. The study identified some challenges administrators faced in their schools. With respect to teachers, maintaining competent staff, teacher lateness and sometimes absenteeism, inadequate teaching and learning resources as well as non compliance to timetables and duty rosters were the most significant challenges the school. The study affirmed that most of the administrators did not go through training for their administrative positions and were also not mentored making them incapable of facing challenges at the initial stages. In the light of the findings, it was recommended that administrators should be given pre-service training for their positions. Mentorship was highly recommended by the administrators to help prepare them to face any challenges that may come as they perform their duties.