Abstract:
The study investigated factors that influence the academic performance of students in the
community and government built secondary schools in Mbeya municipality. The study,
specifically assessed the adequacy of school inputs, examined the existing learning
process in schools, compared students’ academic performance in form II and IV national
examination results in 2006 - 2008 and explored peoples’ perceptions on community built
secondary schools. This study adopted a cross-sectional survey method; teachers were
selected randomly, while education administrators and community respondents were
purposely selected. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regressions were used to
summarize the information obtained from respondents in the studied schools. Findings of
this study showed that there were not enough teaching and learning materials, teaching
and learning processes were poor especially in the community built secondary schools.
Also, availability of facilities in the schools did not match with number of students.
Teaching was dominated with a mixture of English with Kiswahili. The study findings
showed that academic performances of community built secondary schools were poorer
than government built secondary schools in Form II and IV national examinations from
2006 to 2008. This study recommends that the government should increase number of
teachers; provide teaching and learning materials such as textbooks, laboratories,
classrooms, provide lunch to students staying far away from schools; introduce bonus
schemes for teachers serving in difficult environment so as to facilitate them work for
longer hours . Other education stakeholders such as parents, NGOs and local communities
in collaboration with the government should build hostels and dormitories around the
community built secondary schools for retention of students. People in Tanzania society
should have positive perceptions on community built secondary schools so as to eliminate
some problems like decreased enrollment of pupils, thus increase access in education and
reduce number of street children in the society.
