Abstract
The research provides an important examination of the financial management practices within the educational sector. The study’s focus on school heads in the Jalajala District is particularly relevant, as effective financial management is critical for the efficient operation and improvement of schools. School heads have the complex task of matching available resources, monetary and human, with their educational initiatives as guided by state’s laws and regulations. Data were obtained from 11 school heads of the Department of Education, Schools Division of Rizal, Jalajala District through survey questionnaire. The results revealed that majority of the participants are from Elementary Schools (73%) with more than 41 hours of training in financial management (37%), mostly of more than 6 years serving as school and (46%) and with Doctoral degree (46%). Majority of the schools heads (91%) have high compliance in all aspect of financial management system. This implies that schools can achieve high compliance results in financial management system regardless of the professional profile of the school head as the findings revealed no significant differences on the level of financial management system in all 5 aspects in terms of the school heads profile. The findings offer valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the current financial management systems, highlighting areas where school heads excel and where improvements are needed. However, the study would benefit from a more in-depth analysis of the external factors influencing financial management practices, such as policy changes or economic conditions. Additionally, including case studies or examples of best practices from other districts could provide a more holistic view and actionable recommendations. Overall, this research makes a significant contribution to the field of educational administration and offers practical suggestions for enhancing financial management practices among school heads in the Jalajala District.
