This research program aimed to identify the factors that influence the Voluntary Donation payment decision in a cohort of parents (N = 250) with a child (or children) at a New Zealand state school. A voluntary donation is a charitable contribution to the running of the school collected from the parents of the school’s students. A survey questionnaire was constructed to examine the attitudes parents hold towards the voluntary donation funding system, the current New Zealand Government and the school the respondent’s child attends. The parents were ‘naturally’ separated into two conditions based on their last voluntary donation payment decision – Paid versus Not Paid – to compare the differences in attitudes on the various statements from the survey and their demographic composition. The results revealed that payment decision was positively correlated with educational achievement, annual household income and age. Individual contributions exhibited strong positive relationships with beliefs about the contributions of others, which was consistent with previous public goods field experiments. The research extended the existing public goods research by examining the social norms of voluntary donation behaviour and assimilating the results with theories of altruism, conditional cooperation and reciprocity. The strongest overall contribution to the prediction of payment decision was parents’ attitudes towards the current Government and the voluntary donation funding system. The results identified that pressures existed in the voluntary donation environment, a result most prevalent in high decile schools. Additionally, a marginal level of comprehension of the voluntary donations characterised the majority of respondents. Overall, the research found that the best predictor of contribution was attitudes towards the voluntary donation funding system.

La période est marquée par des projets de réforme qui ont des conséquences importantes sur l'enseignement de l'Histoire. Cependant, les professeurs d'Histoire, peu nombreux dans la population active, restent divisés, aussi bien sur la stratégie syndicale à adopter que sur les questions pédagogiques ou historiographiques soulevées par ces réformes. En effet, les professeurs se rattachent à des cultures syndicales ou associatives particulières et poursuivent souvent des objectifs opposés. Néanmoins, ces clivages peuvent être comblés, grâce à l'action de syndicalistes soucieux de rechercher des alliés, afin de briser l'isolement dans lequel se trouve leur organisation. Par conséquent, les représentants des professeurs disposent de marges de manœuvre limitées, mais réelles, pour s’opposer aux réformes qu'ils redoutent. / The period is marked by reform projects which have important consequences on the teaching of History. However, history teachers, few in the working population, remain relatively divided as well on the trade-union strategy, as on the teaching or historiographical issues raised by the reforms. Teachers, indeed, are attached to particular trade-union cultures, privileging different goals. However, this trade union rift can be filled by the action of trade unionists, anxious to search allies in order to break the isolation of their organization. Consequently, teacher representatives thus have often only leeway limited, but real, to be opposed to the reforms which they fear.

Magister Legum - LLM / The financing of public schools in South Africa is dependent on school fees to a great extent. However, the legislative process governing the charging of school fees perpetuates the entrenched inequality in the education system and violates the constitutional rights of those learners who are unable to afford school fees and other educational costs. This study examines the impact of the school funding system on the right to basic education of these learners, who are in most instances black and/or poor. / South Africa

No description available.

Despite the raise in per-pupil expenditures, the achievement gap between economically advantaged and disadvantaged students continues to increase. Education proponents are scrambling to understand the complexities of local school funding. The No Child Left behind deadline stipulated that all students must be proficient in language arts and mathematics by 2014. The constructivist theory served as the conceptual framework for the study. Performance data were obtained from the State of New Jersey Department of Education and the United States Department of Education. This quantitative study determined whether a significant relationship exists between the allocation of fiscal resources and students' test scores. Improvement District Survey data were obtained from the New Jersey school district. District test results for Grades 6, 7, and 8 in language arts and mathematics from the 2011-2012 school year were used. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed no significant relationship between the allocation of fiscal resources and student achievement other than a significant relationship (25%) between mathematics achievement and educational media services/school library. The Improvement District Survey results revealed that the New Jersey district is capable of aligning their improvement efforts with the barriers and challenges of teachers. These findings have implications for positive social change for education officials by informing their allocation of fiscal resources. This informed approach will support increased student achievement and will add to the current research of allocation patterns and student performance.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Curriculum Studies)) --University of Limpopo, 2013 / After the establishment of the first democratic government in South Africa in 1994, the Education Ministry started transforming the apartheid education system into the democratic education system aimed at achieving equity, redress and access to education. Amongst the policies developed, were South African Schools Act (Act No. 84 of 1996), National Norms and Standards for School Funding, Exemption of Parents from Payment of School Fees Regulations, Education Laws Amendment Act (Act No. 24 of 2005), Amended National Norms and Standards For School Funding, and No- Fee School Policy. In this study, I analysed how schools in Bolobedu cluster circuits of Mopani District implemented the No-Fee School policy regarding the use and management of school finances. Qualitative case study was used. Four schools, two primary and two secondary schools, were sampled. Three methods of data collection were used: interviews, document analysis (school records such as SGB minutes, finance policy, School Business Plan/School Development Plan, budgets, auditors’ reports, etc.) and observation. Interviews were conducted with school principals, teachers, parents and learners. The research findings indicate that the three SGBs have the capacity to practise good financial management in relation to the No-Fee school policy, although they still need to improve on some areas of responsibility. These SGBs demonstrated sound and good practice in the use and management of school finances. However, one SGB was struggling to practice good financial management responsibility. This school has the potential to improve its capacity to execute its financial responsibility if provided with support. Key words: South African Schools Act (SASA), National Norms and Standards for School Funding (NNSSF), Amended National Norms and Standards For School Funding (ANNSSF), No-Fee School Policy, Equity, Access and Redress, Use and management of school finances.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.