The management of school financial policy and internal financial controls in designated section 21 schools in the Motheo Education District, Free State

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Date
2009
Authors
Manning, Allan Dudley
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University of the Free State
Abstract
English:This study examines the efficacy of school financial policy, procedures and internal financial controls in designated section 21 schools in the Motheo Education District, Free State. The decision to conduct the research in the Free State province was motivated by having read reports in education journals and newspapers of financial mismanagement in other provinces. Prior to this study the researcher sought out similar dissertations and theses at the University of Free State library and on the internet in an attempt to establish what research has been done since 1994 which was devoted entirely to school financial management in the Free State post-1994. Research relating to pre-1994 was available, together with research post-1994 primarily relating to school management, or aspects thereof, in which school financial management was accorded a subsection or a chapter. Thus, the researcher is of the opinion that a research gap exists in this area in the Free State (post-1994) and believes that this study fuifiIIs a need for such research which could be of mutual benefit to schools and the Free State Department of Education. Having consulted literature as documented in chapter one highlighting financial management and control deficiencies at researched schools a research problem was formulated, namely, whether the designated schools have an effective financial policy in place which is supported by efficacious financial/accounting procedures and controls and which are verified by ongoing internal audit and/or management checks. This was followed by an extensive literature study in chapters two and three relating to the aims of the research and providing a sound framework for the empirical study. The literature study included, inter alia, a theoretical review of policy followed by an extensive review of education and school policy in South Africa, post-1994 which were necessary precursors to a study of school financial policy. This was necessary to establish as to what constitutes a sound school financial policy, being one of the aims of the research. It was necessary in the literature review to extensively examine and analyse applicable national legislation and regulations. Furthermore, it was necessary to examine literature (including applicable legislation) relating to financial control procedures, financial accounting and internal auditing standards to first establish what constitutes generally accepted accounting and internal control standards and, secondly, to investigate compliance with these standards during the qualitative research. An extensive school financial policy and related procedures are suggested and appended to this research (Appendix A).A qualitative research methodology was adopted for this study, the design of which is documented in chapter four. The qualitative research embodied semi-structured interviews with financial management role players and finance clerks, together with a document study of school financial policies and documents. This chapter includes an exposition as to how reliability and validity of the research will be ensured.Chapter five presents a comparative analysis of data collected, the identification of recurring theme/patterns and the coding thereof. Categories were created within the broad themes identified and findings emanating from the comparative analysis were presented. Deficiencies are documented in respect of: • Outdated school financial policies. • Lack of management involvement in financial control processes. • Inadequate budget control systems. • Irregular meetings, membership and ineffectiveness of finance committees. • Inadequate receipting procedures. • Lack of stationery control. • Inadequate petty cash systems. • Poor cheque control procedures. • Incorrect financial recording. • Lack of bank reconciliations. Recommendations arising from the findings are presented in chapter six. The recommendations include, inter alia, a recommended internal audit checklist to assist and encourage school management to effect ongoing internal management financial control checks, which if applied correctly, could, in the opinion of the researcher lead to quality financial management. It is hoped that this study will have value in assisting schools and the Provincial department in highlighting financial control deficiencies, for which corrective action can be implemented, thus reducing the risk of financial losses due to defalcations or errors.
Afrikaans:Die studie ondersoek die effektiwiteit van finansiële skoolbeleid, prosedures en interne finansiële beheermaatreëls in aangewese Artikel 21 skole in die Motheo onderwysdistrik van die Vrystaat. Die besluit om die studie in die Vrystaat te onderneem is gemotiveer deur die lees van verslae in opvoedkundige tydskrifte en koerante oor finansiële wanbestuur in ander provinsies. Voor die aanvang van die studie het die navorser soortgelyke verhandelinge en tesisse in die biblioteek van die Universiteit van die Vrystaat en op die internet geraadpleeg om vas te stel watter navorsing onderneem is en wat uitsluitlik gefokus het op finansiële skoolbestuur in die Vrystaat na 1994. Navorsing in skoolbestuur voor 1994 en daarna was beskikbaar, maar het slegs 'n afdeling of hoofstuk aan finansiële skoolbestuur gewy. Daar is dus 'n navorsingsgaping in hierdie opsig in die Vrystaat (post-1994), en die navorser is van mening dat hierdie studie die behoefte vir sodanige navorsing vervul, en dat dit van wedersydse belang kan wees vir skole en die Vrystaatse Departement van Onderwys. As gevolg van 'n literatuurstudie, waartydens tekortkominge in finansiële bestuur en beheer uitgewys is (hoofstuk 1), is 'n navorsingsprobleem geformuleer: Of dieaangewese skole 'n effektiewe finansiële beleid in plek het en of hierdie beleid ondersteun word deur doeltreffende finansiële /rekeningkundige prosedures en beheermaatreëls wat deur voortgesette interne oudit en/of bestuursondersoeke geverifieër word. Hierop het 'n intensiewe literatuurstudie in hoofstukke 2 en 3 gevolg, gefokus op die doelstelling van die navorsing, en om 'n raamwerk te verskaf teen die agtergrond waarvan die empiriese studie onderneem is. Die literatuurstudie het onder andere 'n teoretiese blik op beleid verskaf, gevolg deur 'n uitgebreide studie van onderwys en skoolbeleid in Suid-Afrika na 1994, as 'n noodsaaklike begronding vir 'n studie oor finansiële skoolbeleid. As een van die doelstellings van die studie was die literatuurstudie noodsaaklik ten einde vas te stel wat 'n gesonde finansiële skoolbeleid is. As deel van die literatuurstudie was dit ook belangrik om 'n uitgebreide studie te onderneem van toepaslike nasionale beleid en regulasies. Dit was verder nodig om literatuur (en toepaslike beleid) wat betrekking het op finansiële bestuursmaatreëls, finansiële rekeningkunde en interne ouditstandaarde na te vors, ten einde te bepaal wat beskou kan word as algemeen aanvaarbare rekeningkundige en interne bestuursmaatreëls, om tydens die kwalitatiewe ondersoek vas te stelof daar aan sodanige standaarde voldoen word. 'n Uitgebreide finansiële skoolbeleid en verbandhoudende prosedures is voorgestel en verskyn as bylaag tot hierdie studie (Bylaag A). n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetodologie is onderliggend aan hierdie navorsing, en die ontwerp daarvan is in hoofstuk 4 gedokumenteer. Die kwalitatiewe navorsing is onderneem deur middel van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met rolspelers in finansiële bestuur, sowel as finansiële klerke, en 'n studie van dokumente oor finansiële skoolbeleid en relevante dokumente. Laasgenoemde hoofstuk sluit ook 'n verduideliking in van die wyse waarop die geldigheid en betroubaarheid van die studie verseker is. Hoofstuk 5 onderneem 'n vergelykende analise van die versamelde data, die identifisering van herhalende temas/tendense en die kodering daarvan. Kategorieë is geskep binne die breë temas en die bevindinge van die vergelykende analise is aangebied. Tekortkominge ten opsigte van die volgende is aangedui:• Verouderde finansiële skoolbeleid. • Gebrek aan die betrokkenheid van bestuur in finansiële bestuursprosesse. • Ontoereikende begrotingsbeheerstelsels • Ongereëlde vergaderings, ontoepaslike lidmaatskap en oneffektiwiteit van finansiële komitees. • Ontoereikende kwitansieprosedures. • Gebrek aan skryfbehoeftebeheer. • Oneffektiewe kleinkas stelsels. • Swak tjekbeheer prosedures. • Verkeerde aantekening van finansiële dokumente. • Gebrek aan bank rekonsiliasies. Aanbevelings voortspruitend uit die bevindinge verskyn in hoofstuk 6. Die aanbevelings sluit onder andere 'n voorgestelde oudit oorsiglys in om die bestuur van die skool aan te moedig om interne finansiële beheer voortdurend toe te pas, wat, indien korrek geïmplementeer, volgens die navorser tot gehalte finansiële bestuur sal lei. Die studie sal hopelik van waarde wees vir skole en die onderwysdepartement deur tekortkominge in finansiële beheer uit te wys, waarvoor korrektiewe aksies geïmplementeer kan word, om sodoende die risiko van finansiële verliese deur bedrog of foute te verminder.
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Public schools, Government aid to education -- South Africa -- Free State, Public schools -- South Africa -- Free State -- Finance, Dissertation (M.Ed. (Comparative Education and Education Management))-University of the Free State, 2009
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