Annual External Reporting by New Zealand Secondary Schools: An Assessment of Accountability Disclosures
Presented at Accounting Auditing And Management In Public Sector Reforms, The European Institute for Advance Studies in Management (EIASM) International Conference, 7-9 October 2004, Oslo, Norway
33 Pages Posted: 17 Mar 2009
Date Written: October 7, 2004
Abstract
The 1989 transformation of educational administration in New Zealand emphasised a 'new' accountability framework. The aim of the 'new' accountability was to demonstrate that educational investments yielded educational payoffs; including that educational institutions provide evidence of their performance in terms of efficiency and effectiveness. This accountability was to be, in part, discharged through the provision of performance information in the school annual report. To assess the comprehensiveness (both in extent and quality) of that performance communication, a disclosure index was applied to a sample of 1997 and 2001 annual reports. This paper reports and discusses the resulting scores. The results indicate a significant gap between 'official' expectations and requirements of the type of items to be reported and actual performance reporting practice. Key areas of inadequate disclosure relate to non-financial measures of service performance and physical condition. Improved disclosure to meet best-practice would contribute to improved communication between schools and their stakeholders.
Keywords: Annual reporting, Performance Reporting, New Public Management, New
JEL Classification: M4, M40, M41, M49
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation