Status of records management in public basic schools in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem municipality

Abstract

Failure to keep accurate and up-to-date records on organisational resources has crippled many administrators and managers’ ability to render proper accounts of their stewardship. This study examined the status of records management in public basic schools in the Tarkwa- Nsuaem Municipality. The descriptive survey design method was adopted for the study. The population size consisted of 74 headteachers and five circuit supervisors whilst the sample consisted of 63 headteachers and the five circuit supervisors. Records in 35 schools were examined. Data were collected through questionnaire and observation of records, analyzed using the Statistical Product for Service Solutions (SPSS), and presented in frequencies and percentages. Results of the study showed that whilst some schools kept adequate records, others did not. Again, whilst particular records were often managed well in the schools, others were not. Also, whilst some headteachers knew how to manage the records, others, particularly the newly recruited ones, did not. Again, it was usually the vital and important records like the inventory book, admission register, and cumulative records book, among others which were often the most neglected. On the basis of the findings, it is recommended that in-service training be organised periodically for headteachers of the public basic schools by the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal Directorate of Education on good records management. Finally, the Ghana Education Service should supply the necessary record books, registers, files, and computers promptly to the schools to facilitate records management.