An investigation into District Education Standards Officers' monitoring of standards in High Schools: A case of selected High Schools in Southern Province of Zambia

This study sought to investigate District Education Standards Officers’’ monitoring of standards in high schools in Southern Province in Zambia. A case study approach was used in conducting this research. Data was collected through questionnaires and interviews from a sample of 38 teachers, 16 District Education Standards Officers and 10 Senior Education Standards Officers from the Provincial Education Office to accurately represent the population under study. The study used both qualitative and quantitative methods in the collection of data for the study. The statistical Package for Social Sciences was used to analyse quantitative data from the questionnaires while qualitative data which was obtained through interviews was analysed by coding and grouping the emerging themes. The study found out that very little, if any is being done in the area of high school inspection by District Education Standards Officers in Southern Province. Reports by both the teachers and standards officers revealed that teaching and learning materials were not easily available for use in high schools. The study has also shown that teachers were unwilling to be monitored by District Education Standards Officers who they felt have the same qualification as theirs. In some schools, teachers reported that the standards officers inspected subject areas that they were not trained in. The study also showed that there was lack of in-service training for teachers in the province to equip them with the modern technology and that there is great need for more teachers with degrees, especially Mathematics and Science subjects. The study recommended that: MoE should ensure that officers trained in respective subject areas should monitor such subjects. MoE should ensure that relevant and adequate teaching/learning materials are provided to the high schools and at the right time.
The PEO through the MoE should embark on in-service training workshops aimed at imparting new teaching methods in line with the ever changing technologies