A study of factors affecting provision of quality education in community secondary schools in Arusha district council Tanzania

Abstract

Since 2001, the Tanzanian Government has taken many initiatives to reform its Primary and Secondary school Education sectors. These reforms include implementation of PEDP (2002 -2006) & SEDP from 2004.The strategies were to combat ignorance, disease and poverty in line with the National Vision 2025.Despite these initiatives, the status of Secondary School Education had not been stable which had led to low academic achievement in National Form Four Examinations results. The purpose of this study was to analyse factors affecting the provision of quality education in community secondary schools in Arusha District, Tanzania. Despite the government initiatives, the achievement in Certificate of Secondary School Education Examination (CSEE) has been declining especially in the community secondary schools. The study Objectives was based on the following: to find out the staffing status, to establish the adequacy of instructional materials, the role of English as a language of instruction and to assess the adequacy of physical facilities in community secondary schools. The study employed Pragmatic paradigm. The study followed descriptive survey design and was undertaken in Arusha District Council Tanzania. The study was carried out in 26 out of 41 Community Secondary Schools in Arusha District Council. Simple random and purposive sampling was used to select a sample size of 318 respondents. The target population of the study was 26 heads of schools, One District Education Officer and 1049 teachers in community secondary schools. Context, Input, Process and Product (CIPP) Model by Stufflebeam cited in Frye and Hemmer guided the study. A pilot study of 51 teachers from community secondary schools in neighbouring Region was done. Data collection was done through closed and open ended questionnaire and semi-structured interview. Descriptive statistics in terms of frequencies, mean scores, percentages and standard deviations was used to analyze quantitative data. Qualitative data was analysed using themes emerging from the interviews. The study established that inadequate teachers, instructional materials, limited competence in English as a language of instruction, inadequate of essential physical facilities are determinants for low academic achievement among students in Community Secondary Schools in Arusha District Council, Tanzania. In order to increase students‘ academic achievement, it is recommended that, the government of Tanzania employ enough teachers in all secondary schools to make the variation of teacher-student ratio low. The Government of Tanzania should also come up with a policy on provision of textbooks and other instructional materials in secondary schools.