Challenges heads of senior high schools face in the management of internally generated funds: A case study of selected schools in Sunyani municipality

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to find out the types of activities that schools were engaged in to generate funds and how effectively and efficiently these income-generating activities were managed. The study was also interested in eliciting information on the benefits schools derived from these activities. The instrument used to collect data was a closed-ended questionnaire which was personally administered to selected groups of teachers and students, the head of school and the accountant. In all 36 questionnaires were given out and collected for analysis. The findings of the study revealed that the selected schools were involved in social and economic activities such as Speech Days, Anniversaries and Durbars which brought in funds to the Schools. The economic activities that the schools engaged in were agricultural, technical and catering activities. The schools were observed to operate under strict observance of financial administration regulations. The socio-economic benefits of the internally generated funds to these schools were: improvement in school-community relations; motivation of the teaching staff through incentives and provision of accommodation. Based on the findings, it is recommended that: Heads of school should attend workshops to keep them abreast with business ethics; students should be encouraged to take up hobbies and learn vocations by involving themselves in IGF activities; and IGF activities should be taken serious at the senior high school level as expansion of these activities could create avenues for apprenticeship and skills training for junior high school graduates.