Abstract:
The study was carried out in Bayelsa State to investigate modalities for improving the funding of primary schools by Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs). A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised 540 respondents while the sample size was 224 Head-teachers and Education secretaries selected through randomization. The instrument for data collection was a researcher-designed questionnaire. This was face-validated by three experts while Cronbach Alpha method was employed in computing the reliability estimate. Four research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. The data collected was analyzed using mean and standard deviation while t-test was used in testing the formulated hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings show that LGEAs to a great extent fulfill their statutory roles in the funding of primary schools through submission of total estimate, annual account and monthly returns to SUBEB amongst others. The findings also identified the constraints to LGEAs in funding primary schools to include inadequate funding of the education sector as well as poor statistical data while the effect of the constraints include poor supply of infrastructural facilities, delay in payment of salaries and allowances amongst others. The findings also identified increasing of budgetary allocation in education, active private sector participation and collaborative efforts of the three tiers of government in developing education and establishment of endowment funds. The researcher in general recommended that Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs) and other private groups should join hands in providing funds for effective running of primary school education in the country.
