ACCOUNTABILITY IN EDUCATION - PART 2

 *ACCOUNTABILITY IN EDUCATION - PART 2*

The Concept of Education Accountability is in diverse perspectives. Ethically, we view Accountability as the readiness or preparedness to give an explanation or justification to relevant stakeholders for one’s judgments, intentions, acts and omissions when appropriately called upon to do so. It is readiness to have one’s actions judged by others and where appropriate, accept responsibility for errors, misjudgements and negligence and recognition for competence, thoroughness, excellence and wisdom.

Accountability in Education is the answerability to one’s actions in the educational system. It is the state of being accountable to the stakeholders in education and accountable for the resources used in education. This implies that Accountability is a measure of the extent to which all available resources in a productive system are used for greater efficiency and productivity. Accountability in Education is concerned with determining what records are to be kept, how such records will be maintained in terms of procedures, methodology and forms to be used in recording, classification and summarization of activities or events, analyzing and interpreting the recorded data, preparing and issuing reports and statements which reflect conditions as of a given time.

Accountability in Education is concerned with keeping records of school activities and using such record to assess or appraise institutional performance in relation to the achievement of predetermined objectives. Accountability in education has got so much attention as a result of the following reasons: 

(1) The school system; which facilitates the objectives of education, is a creation of the society which must maintain checks and balances.

(2) Education is generally funded by society through taxes, which must necessarily exercise some control in all facets of the educational process. The tasks of accounting, auditing and reporting are associated with the business of formal education. 

The concept of Educational Accountability is used to describe

 (a) the nature, sources and amount of revenue inputs, 

(b) the appropriation of revenues to various programmes and 

(c) the actual expenditures in these programmes. 

The above are then related to educational outputs or benefits so that the actions are able to understand the financial implications of educational decisions.

Consequent upon the above, educational managers are accountable to the public. In order to aid the process of Accountability in Education, administrators of the educational system should among others: 

(i) Identify the goals and objectives of the educational system; 

(ii) determine the validity and relevance of such goals and objectives;

 (iii) assess periodically how fully such goals and objectives have been achieved;

 (iv) identify which factors assisted or hampered goal achievement in the system; and

 (v) design strategies to improve performance. 

The following are classifications of accountability in education 

(1) *Product/output Accountability:* This has to do with the evaluation of teaching effectiveness and the extent to which the teacher achieves the expected outcome of teaching and classroom interaction.

 *(2)Input Accountability:* This concerns the evaluation of the extent of adequacy of supervision, monitoring and evaluation of the system’s operations.

(3) *Process accountability:* This has to do with maintaining the pedagogic method required in the instructional process, school administrative procedures and classroom interaction to bring about simplified and effective teaching – learning situation.

(4) *Goal Accountability:* This relates to the evaluation of the selection, definition and the prioritization of the goals and objectives of education.

(5) *Accountability for Means and Enabling Environment:* This refers to the evaluation of the extent to which the general public shows their cooperation in providing the required resources for education as well as creating the right atmosphere for educational pursuit in the state.

To be continued

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