Management strategy for optimising the implementation of educational enrichment programmes in youth development, recreation, arts and culture

English: The study is intended to formulate a management strategy for optimising the implementation of educational enrichment programmes (EEPs) in Youth development, Recreation, Arts and Culture (YRAC). The study was conducted in one education district of the Free State Province in South Africa where three EEPs managers at the operational level were involved: a Deputy Chief Education Specialist (DCES) and two Senior Education Specialists (SESs).The study adopted the Critical Emancipatory Research (CER) theoretical framework to direct its activities. To accomplish the ideals of CER the study employed the Participatory Action Research as a methodological approach. PAR was applied to unveil the management of EEPs in YRAC, highlighting community involvement, partnerships, constant participation and allocation of resources in the formulation of the envisioned management strategy. The study found that the management strategy for optimising the implementation of EEPs was a function of collaborative and communicative engagement of stakeholders. It also emerged from the study that, among others, major inequalities in terms of access to resources justified the need for the management strategy. The lack of participation of parents in the EEPs was found to inhibit their democratic participation in the implementation of EEPs and subsequently the application of the management strategy. Unilateral communication also espoused serious challenges for the management strategy. Despite its challenges, the formulated management strategy demonstrated signs of usefulness: it supported collaborative and cooperative engagement among stakeholders, participative democracy for social justice, regular and interactive communication between the EEPs managers and all stakeholders. The contribution of the study to the field of education lay in its identification of the gaps with respect to the equitable access and implementation of EEPs in schools. The study highlights the dire shortage of funding for the implementation of EEPs, lack of parental support, the marked decline of learners’ participation and the inadequate professional training of EEPs managers in EEPs as compelling reasons for a management strategy. The study also highlights the importance of creating room for careers for learners through EEPs as one of the critical rationale for the management of EEPs.