Browsing by Author "Rao, Nirmala"

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    Early learning of children in Tanzania: A comparison study of naturalized refugee, rural majority, and urban majority population groups
    (Springer, 2018) Ndijuye, Laurent Gabriel; Rao, Nirmala
    This study compares school readiness and family experiences of children of naturalized refugees with the learning and experiences of a rural majority population group and urban majority population group in Tanzania. A total of 150 pre-primary children (50 in each group) were selected and completed a modified version of the School Readiness Composite of the Bracken’s Basic Concept Scale-Receptive. Additionally, 45 parents of the children (15 from each group) were interviewed to explore the influences of demographic factors, home and health contexts on children’s early learning. School readiness of the naturalized refugee group was higher than that of the rural majority population and comparable to skills of the urban majority population group. Parental home practices, beliefs, and expectations about education were possible influences on why naturalized refugee children demonstrated comparable early attainment to that of the urban majority. Naturalized refugee parents considered that their children’s education was a path to upward social mobility. These findings highlight the importance of fostering the early learning and developmental potential of all disadvantaged groups in sub-Saharan Africa.
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    Early reading and mathematics attainments of children of self-settled recently naturalized refugees in Tanzania
    (ELSEVIER, 2019) Ndijuye, Laurent Gabriel; Rao, Nirmala
    This study compares the literacy and numeracy attainments of naturalized refugees and the majority rural and urban local children in Tanzania. Samples of 150 pupils were administered Early Grades Reading/Mathematics Assessment. Further, 45 parents and three principals were individually interviewed. Results indicate that naturalized refugees outperformed both urban and rural majority on literacy measures. On numeracy tests, naturalized refugees outperformed the rural majority and had comparable attainment to the urban majority. Demographic and SES variables predicted both reading and mathematics attainments. Interviews revealed that naturalized refugee families prioritized children’s education as a path to integration into the host society.
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    Pre-primary education policy in Tanzania: Does it meet the educational needs of newly naturalized refugee children?
    (Mercy College, 2018) Ndijuye, Laurent Gabriel; Rao, Nirmala
    Over the past five decades Tanzania has hosted over two million refugees, about 200,000 of whom have been naturalized as Tanzania citizens. Children from this group face numerous challenges within the mainstream educational system. This paper considered education policy in Tanzania, with a specific focus on access to quality pre-primary education for children of naturalized refugees. It analyzes relevant policy documents published from 2006 –the year before Tanzania started its latest refugee naturalization phase, to 2016. The 2014 Tanzania Education and Training Policy (ETP), the Pre-primary Curriculum, and the Pre-primary Schools Guide give the most focus to pre-primary education. Three National Five-year Development Plans considered all levels of formal education, except the pre-primary level. Findings revealed that policy documents articulate a commitment to providing equal educational opportunities for all people, regardless of their background, acknowledge existing problems with the educational system and make sensible recommendations. These include abolishing fees in all public schools; increasing flexibility in the choice and use of languages of instruction; decentralizing of program management and accountability; and, recommendations related to curriculum issues. However, the associated working documents do not suggest specific strategic and implementation plans to meet the intended goals, nor do they prioritize increasing educational participation for naturalized refugee children.