Students’ Academic Achievement: Whose Responsibility and Accountability?
Bernard Moswela

Abstract
This position paper explored the role played by the different stakeholders in the education of students and the extent in terms of responsibility and accountability, these influence students’ academic achievement. The exploration was located within the systems theory which postulates that the coordinated effort of all stakeholders is more powerful than the sum of the strengths of the individual groups. School heads, as official ‘captains’ of the school, have an overriding oversight of curriculum implementation. The buck stops with them at the school level with regard to students’ performance. Teachers, because they have no expressed contract with the employer to deliver, cannot be held accountable for the students’ performance. However, the fact that they are on payroll makes their position in the accountability framework unclear and therefore difficult to place. The Minister for Education, who is mandated politically to see to the provision of quality education in schools, is ultimately accountable. The parents, the students, and other politicians other than the one for education, have only a social and moral responsibility involvement and not a legal requirement demanding their accountability. The paper recommends that higher authorities in education should continue their efforts to encourage parents and other significant stakeholders to take interest and participate in education matters at schools.

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