The impact of governance practices on performance measures of assisted Christian schools in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Education has played a pivotal role in the development of human civilization. Education must cater to the present needs of society and prepare it for a better future. One of the most valuable gifts that the Catholic Church has contributed is the holistic approach in education, because true education, it holds, is not only training the mind but also the heart, leading to wisdom. However, the overall performance of the holistic education system has faced widespread controversy. Continuing concern about how schools are being managed and controlled has led to many studies on school performance. The purpose of this study is to
provide evidence from selected indicators and school governance principles. There are many
inconsistencies in findings globally in showing that no single school governance model is appropriate for all schools, countries and economic environments. This study has considered three different school governance practices of board clarity of function, sustainable policy and board charters in capturing the effect of board governance on school performance. The study used the four perspectives of the balanced scorecard as a determinant of school performance. The findings suggest that clarity of board function, sustainable policy and the board charter have positively significant correlation with school performance.
Keywords: Education, Catholic Church, school performance, governance, board commitment, Sri Lanka