Perception of Principals on Challenges of School-Based Management Committee in Public Secondary Schools in Central Senatorial District of Ondo State, Nigeria

In Nigeria, Federal Government introduced the School-Based Management Committee Policy in 2006, which mandates each school to constitute the committee for effective governance and to bring the management of school closer to the community where it is located. After over a decade of implementation of the policy, this study examined the challenges of SBMC, as perceived by the principal of Public Secondary Schools in the Central Senatorial District of Ondo State. 1 question was raised and 1 hypothesis formulated, while the descriptive-survey design was adopted. All the 107 Public Secondary Schools in Central Senatorial District of the State constituted the main population while principal of the 107 schools was targeted. Data were gathered using a self-structured questionnaire, validated and tested for reliability using a test-rest approach (r= 0.80). Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), frequency counts, and percentage while hypotheses were tested using t-test statistics. Findings revealed among others, inadequate finance, non-cooperation of school principals/members of SBMC; lack of/inappropriate knowledge of school activities; lack of motivation of members; as challenges facing SBMC in schools; and that level of experience has no significant influence on the perception of principals on challenges of SBMC. Also, there was no significant difference in the perception of male and female principals on the challenges of SBMC. Based on these, adequate finance of SBMC, the commitment of members to their work, the motivation of members of SBMC, advocacy/sensitization of members of the public on SBMC, among others, are recommended, to enhance the effectiveness of SBMC and achieve the desired objectives.