Examining housekeeping management practices of housemasters and housemistress in selected senior high schools in the Kumasi Metropolis

Abstract

The main purpose of the study was to examine housekeeping management practices of housemasters and housemistress in selected Senior High Schools in the Kumasi Metropolis. The research adopted descriptive research design. Quantitative research approach was used. The population consisted of all boarding house students and house masters/mistresses engaging in housekeeping practises in the three selected Senior high schools namely Seven Day Adventist SHS, Kumasi Girls SHS, and Prempeh College. The study population was 6905. Non-Probability sampling (convenience) procedure was used to select 364 respondents for the study. Questionnaires were used to gather primary data. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse data. The study results show that majority (88.1%) of the respondents agreed that student’s roles as housekeepers is to regulate activities such as cleaning, weeding, washing and smoking that can lead to hazardous conditions. Moreover, most of the respondents (58.8%) agreed that student’s roles as housekeepers is to properly control waste. Furthermore, most of the respondents (67.3%) agreed that student’s roles as housekeepers is to weed and control grass and bush. The study concluded that the equipment required for housekeeping in selected Senior High Schools in the Kumasi Metropolis were detergents (13.7%), scrubbing brushes (10.6%), brooms (8.9%), 8.9% used cutlasses, (6.2%) used hoes, 9.7% used rake and mob, 10.2% used shovels, 11.1% used rag, 2.7% used wellington boots and gloves respectively, while 1.3% used protective clothing, buckets and head pans and disinfectants. The study recommended that the Teachers and housekeeping practices supervisors should continue to organise housekeeping practices for students frequently to improve environmental cleanliness and prevent infectious diseases in the selected SHSs.