Learner involvement in management aspects of senior secondary schools in the north central districts of Botswana

Abstract

This study explores the involvement of learners in aspects of educational management in senior secondary schools of the North Central District of Botswana. The findings revealed that: • The learners should be involved in as many aspects as is possible. The tests of relevance and expertise can be applied to determine whether the learners can participate meaningfully in an aspect or not. • The extent to which the learners can participate was partial. This extent of participation will allow school managers to take quick decisions in times of emergency or take a unilateral decision if it is established that the learners will not make a meaningful contribution to the process of making decisions. In this case too, the tests of relevance and expertise can be applied. • The training and guidance of prefects can significantly improve the quality of participation of learners in management aspects of the school. The training exercise must include aspects that could be specific to a locality such as culture, politics or economic status of the community in which the school is situated. Based on the above findings, recommendations are made and suggestions for future research are postulated.