Public primary school heads appointment quagmire in Tanzania

Abstract

The study sought to understand the factors that lead educational authorities in Tanzania to appoint unqualified school teachers to head public primary schools. The findings presented in this paper are based on a cross sectional survey conducted between December 2009 and April 2010 in Morogoro, Lindi and Tabora, three of 30 Tanzania's regions (provinces). Interviews conducted with nine DEOs and 77 head teachers generated the qualitative data used in this report. The study findings reveal that there was inadequate numbers of qualified head teachers in the public schools of the regions under review. The District Education Officers (DEOs) charged with the responsibility of identifying these heads were looking for the right persons with right credentials to manage primary schools as the management of primary schools is a complex process involving keeping and handling of confidential information, examination and financial management. Generally, the Certificate in Education, experience in teaching, gender, school location were some of the key requirements for one to make headship in Tanzania. However, on the basis of problems identified with getting the right person, the study recommends effective utilisation of Teachers Resources Centres (TRCs), short courses and in-service training as some of the strategies that could help to improve the skills and knowledge of the public primary school head teachers for effective and efficient management of primary schools to evolve on a wider scale.