The Decentralization of the Administration of Basic Education to Councils and its Effectiveness on Educational Supply

“The decentralization of the administration of basic education to councils and its effectiveness on educational supply” is a paper which investigated how effective basic education in Cameroon, particularly public primary schools were supplied with the requisite infrastructures, didactic materials, support staff Cameroon, 2010b and finances by councils due to the devolved autonomy in decision making by the central government in the decentralization process Cameroon, 2004b . The decentralization of the supply of these resources to councils was because the central government believed that it will be the right means to end their acute shortage or lack the above mentioned resources in our basic education system since the local population elect their councillors. The study intended to examine the extent to which councils' autonomy in decision making on their educational tasks affects educational supply in primary schools. The research implored a quantitative survey research design with simple random sampling techniques where questionnaires and interviews were administered to six mayors in Fako division of the SWR of Cameroon and fifty copies of the head teachers' questionnaire were randomly administered to fifty head teachers. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical tools such as measures of central tendencies and variability, and probability sampling tests such as the chi square and Pearson product moment correlation coefficient. Findings of this study revealed that councils had very little autonomy in decision making which was ineffective in the provision of support staff and finances to primary schools and there was a very little effect on the provision of infrastructures and a moderately positive effect on the provision of instructional materials. In conclusion, the decentralization of the provision of infrastructures, instructional materials, and support staff to councils as stipulated by some legal instruments Cameroon, 2004a 2004b 2010b has been very ineffective as we still find schools with poor or lack of infrastructures, instructional materials and support stuff, a situation which decentralization was meant to remedy. Only the provision of didactic materials and a few infrastructures have been deconcentrated to councils and financed by the Common Decentralization Fund CDF . It is therefore recommended to the central government to effectively decentralize the provision of these resources to councils, which are closer to the local communities. Councils should employ educationists and train them to manage educational affairs, especially the provision of these resources in schools. Head teachers should collaborate with councilors and teachers to supervise the utilization of the provided resources. Nkwomen Moses Alama "The Decentralization of the Administration of Basic Education to Councils and its Effectiveness on Educational Supply" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-4 | Issue-5 , August 2020, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd31850.pdf Paper Url :https://www.ijtsrd.com/humanities-and-the-arts/education/31850/the-decentralization-of-the-administration-of-basic-education-to-councils-and-its-effectiveness-on-educational-supply/nkwomen-moses-alama