Factors contributing to financial mismanagement in public secondary schools: a case study of selected schools in Lusaka district.

This study sought to establish factors leading to financial mismanagement in public secondary
schools. To achieve this objective, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with
the District Education Board Secretary (DEBS), the Internal Auditor (Kabwe), six Head teachers,
six accounting officers, 60 teachers, 12 parents and 12 pupils. Data were analysed by comparing
and categorising respondent’s opinions. Emerging themes from data collected were analysed
using Microsoft Excel to obtain graphs and pie charts.
The findings revealed that financial management was a lack of knowledge of legislation and
skills, poor monitoring and control of funds, unavailability of financial policies in schools, a lack
of political will to take culprits to book and mere lack of honesty, openness and trustworthiness.
The study further showed that teachers and parents were not incorporated in the management of
funds. The study furthermore indicated that financial management was more tied to the Head
teachers and accounting officers.
It was also revealed that parents were not given the powers to monitor the utilisation of school
funds, hence, the management of funds was being done behind closed doors. This meant that
there was lack of transparency and accountability.
It was furthermore discovered that most stakeholders including DEBS and Head teachers lacked
financial management skills and it was only when local stakeholders were skilful and qualified
enough to manage the funds that the decentralised financial management could be implemented.