Community Perception on Public Primary Schools: Implications for Sustainable Fee Free Basic Education in Rorya District, Tanzania

Abstract

Despite the involvement of community participation in various development projects over the years in Tanzania, little is known of its implications on sustainability of fee free basic education in rural public primary schools. A mixed method exploratory approach, informed by ecological systems theory, employed questionnaires, FGD and interview schedules to selected parents and School Management Committee members of public primary schools in Rorya District, Tanzania.  The study focused on the value of public primary school education, advantages of Fee Free primary education, perceptions of parents and School Management Committee members on community participation and relationship between parent’s perception on the value of public primary education and participation in project-based support to education. The respondents exhibited heterogeneous negative perceptions with a positive correlation between parent’s perception on the value of public primary education and participation in project-based support to education (r =.510, p=000<0.01). The larger majority 64.3% of parent respondents with grade 7 education was deemed a factor that influenced negative perception. The researcher recommends that the Government authorities need to impart community economic productivity skills; the District Authorities further need to conduct community awareness on the importance of participation. Finally, the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the other stakeholders should mobilize funds and sensitize communities on the value of primary education and the importance of their participation in community development programs to support education.