Analysis of the Problematic Nature of Appointment of Public Senior High School (SHS) Head Teachers and the Governance of Schools in Ghana

Analysis of the Problematic Nature of Appointment of Public Senior High School (SHS) Head Teachers and the Governance of Schools in Ghana

Joseph Ezale Cobbinah
DOI: 10.4018/IJTEPD.2020070102
OnDemand:
(Individual Articles)
Available
$37.50
No Current Special Offers
TOTAL SAVINGS: $37.50

Abstract

This article examines the problematic nature associated with the appointment of head teachers in Ghanaian senior high schools (SHS) and how this is impacting the governance of schools. The Ghana Education Service (GES) is supposed to make appointments and promotions of head teachers, however there are external bodies that influence the appointment process. With data gathered from deputy head teachers, education officers, and senior teachers from selected schools, the study examined the problematic nature of head teacher appointment and the nature of school governance. The results showed that although the GES is making efforts to promote good governance through the school leadership, there are still some controversies and challenges that affect the effectiveness of their work. To address this, the study concludes that, the GES must streamline its appointments and promotion guidelines so as to eliminate any external pressures and influences to promote improvement and ensure continuity.
Article Preview
Top

Conceptualising School Governance

School governance as explained by Gann, could trace its roots back into the Dark Ages through to Victorian Times, when the first governing bodies of schools “were the boards of trustees responsible for setting up and running of English schools from the sixth century” (Gann, 2005, p. 6). Since then, governance has become a very significant concept in educational leadership and school improvement literature (Hudson, 2007). Governance may be defined as an organizational practice that emerges from people’s actions and beliefs in the response and “dilemmas against the background of conflicting traditions” (Bevir, 2011, p. 5; Fawcett and Daugbjerg, 2012). It is an organizational process that determines how resources could be effectively utilized and how any future conflicts within the organization are resolved (Mair and Mayer, 2015). Fasenfest (2010) also explained governance as a set of decisions and processes that are made to reflect expectations of individuals through the leadership of those in government. The Concise Oxford Dictionary explains governance as “the act or manner of governing.” Governance shows how actors of different social and economic backgrounds interdepend on each other but lack the capacity to decide and find solutions or policies unilaterally and directly (Chhotray & Stoker 2009).

Complete Article List

Search this Journal:
Reset
Volume 7: 1 Issue (2024)
Volume 6: 1 Issue (2023)
Volume 5: 2 Issues (2022): 1 Released, 1 Forthcoming
Volume 4: 2 Issues (2021)
Volume 3: 2 Issues (2020)
Volume 2: 2 Issues (2019)
Volume 1: 2 Issues (2018)
View Complete Journal Contents Listing