Stakeholders’ Perception on the Freeness of Fee-Free Education in Ordinary Secondary Schools: A Case of Rombo District, Tanzania

Abstract

This study sought to establish stakeholders’ perception on the freeness of Fee-Free Education among Ordinary Secondary Schools in Rombo District, Tanzania through the mixed research design where both qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analysed concurrently. The population of the study included teachers, heads of schools and parents as they are directly responsible to day to day implementation of fee free education. The study established a need for financial contributions from parents and the community at large because the amount of fund that is allocated by the government is not sufficient. Parents indicated financial difficulties and that the contributions were too high. Therefore there is a need to create a better way of involving parents and the community in supporting education financially. The study further established that politicians kept on interfering with the success of the contributions from parents and the community for them to gain popularity on the argument that education is free, hence parents should not contribute anything. The study recommends that the government needs to establish a proper involvement mechanism that will be a guide to finance basic education.