Meaning of Accountability:

‍The word accountability means different things to various professions but all relate to being liable, answerable responsible and accountable fora thing. Accountability is a multifaceted concept. It is conceptualized as
professional-participative, legal network or hierarchy. Accountability is concerned primarily with records of events, the state of being liable to or being called on to render an account on a thing or situation, being responsible for and answerable for a particular thing which makes it anecessity for accounting records to be kept for reference purposes and proper documentation.

In ethics and governance, accountability is answerability,worthiness, liability, and the expectation of account giving, as an aspectof relating to problems in the public sector, non-project and private (corporate) and individual contexts. But accountability in education does not mean keeping of financial reporting but is concerned with determination of what records will be kept, maintained and the forms to be used in safe-guarding them. It deals with the recording, classification, analysis, summarization of activities within a given time and making the report available for stakeholders periodically.

Accountability in education covers such areas as, financial accountability, budgeting, fiscal audit, academic performanceand moral reports to showcase the efficiency and effectiveness of theschool and satisfy the curiosity of the public. It is stated here that accountability is required in all the activities embarked upon in educational institutions.


THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCOUNTABILITY IN EDUCATION

1. Results of accountability in education which are based on students’performance can be used to ascertain the effectiveness of the teachers.

2. Accountability can be used to determine the stewardship of a teacher such as; teacher quality, positive working relationship withcolleagues, good interaction with parents and the community which stimulate higher levels of student’s performance.

3. The productivity of teachers and academic achievement of students can be a process of ascertaining the effectiveness of the school administration.

4. Accountability in education ensures protection of public funds frommisuse. It is the duty of the school administrator to collect and account for all funds both external allocation and internally generated funds.

5. Accountability ensures effective/protection of school properties, facilities and equipment.

6. Wrong actions or deeds in the education systems are check-mated through proper application of accountability/procedures.

7. Educational objectives and goals are consistently attained when accountability programme are religiously followed and implemented.

Conclusion:

Accountability in education is very important because it helps in making intelligent decisions in school planning, management, allocation ofresources, communicating with parents, education authorities and forfuture references. The assessment of a school’s efficiency in accountability is based on the availability of school records. The planning of education requires implementing accountability/procedures and regulation effectively and efficiently. It ensures proper recording ofactivities, classification, analysis, summation of programmes and activities within a given time frame and periodic reporting to essential stakeholders.