An Investigation of Primary School-Based Governance in a Decentralised Education System

Countries that adopt decentralisation policy expect that implementation of the policy will lead to achievement of the policy objectives. Malawi adopted the policy with the aim of promoting good governance which entails transparency, accountability and participation among other objectives. This article presents findings of the study that aimed to assess primary schools-based governance in primary schools in Lilongwe district. The study took the form of mixed methods approach in which both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed. The respondents included primary school stakeholders who were sampled purposively. Data from the two methods were collected and analysed sequentially and the findings were integrated during interpretation phase. Results revealed that there were indicators of good governance in both primary schools. All stakeholders were involved in decision making and actively participated in school-related activities. However, learners were usually involved in the implementation phase only due to the long-standing belief that children cannot speak for themselves. Despite low learners’ involvement in decision making, the results provided evidence to conclude that transferring powers from the central government to the local governments promotes good governance.