Performance management as best practice for improving the Namibian public schools

Abstract

This paper examines several important elements of measuring performance in primary and secondary education and its contribution to best practice in education. Education management has increasingly been dominated by the norms and requirements of general management ideologies that focus on performance controls and target achievements. Under this regime, solving the labour problem - relatively low productivity - has taken priority over all other forms of management. 'There are tendencies of individually grievance, absenteeism, increased instrumentalism and dull compliance in the job' according to Sugrue and Day 2002, p. xv. The application of tighter controls over performance will encourage development through the allocation of real and meaningful responsibilities to employees. Performance management can raise levels of performance to achieve better outputs and outcomes in education.