STAFFING IN THE PROVISION OF QUALITY EDUCATION IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN BUNDA DISTRICT, TANZANIA

Abstract

This study dealt with staffing in the provision of quality education in primary schools in Bunda district, Tanzania. Despite the efforts by the government, NGOs, parents and other stakeholders, in promoting quality education, the quality of education in Bunda primary schools in particular, is still below average. The study was guided by the following objectives to: establish the contribution of pupils enrollment on the provision of quality education in Bunda District primary schools; assess the effects of community involvement in staffing on the provision of quality Education; determine the attitude of parents towards staffing on the provision of quality Education; examine the influence of staff motivation in the provision of quality Education. It employed descriptive survey research design. The Target population was 109 primary schools, 1290 teachers, 2450 parents and 1 District Education Officer. The researcher used 30% to get a sample size of 28 out of 109 head teachers. The researcher also considered using Saunders, Philip, Adrian (2003) table to get a representative sample of 278 teachers from the population of 1290 and 370 parents from 24650 respectively. Data collection instruments were questionnaires and interview schedule. Validity was established by giving the instruments to the experts in the department of Education Administration Planning and Economics of Kisii University. The reliability was ascertained by a pilot study conducted in the same district among the head teachers who were not included in the final study population. From the schools where the five head teachers were stationed and 10 teachers were randomly selected for the pilot study and 13 parents were also randomly selected. Split-Half technique was employed for the test. Pilot questionnaires were divided into two equivalent halves and their correlation co-efficient for the two halves were computed using the Spearman Brown prophecy formula, describing the internal consistency of the test then shown that the instrument was reliable. A correlation coefficient of 0.70 was obtained and recommended as reliable. The researcher sought permission from the National Council for Science Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI) through Kisii University as required. The researcher equally got permission from the Bunda District Education Officer. The respondents were assured of the strict confidentiality. The researcher acknowledged all sources referred to so as to avoid plagiarism. The findings showed that the head teachers 15 (53.6 %) responded that high enrolment affects few resourses which are available in schools. It was also found that the head teachers 16 (57.1 %) revealed that members of the community influence provision of quality education by building classrooms which are important for learning. Findings reported that 24 (85.7 %) BOM chairpersons indicated that parents make decisions regarding school staffing while only 4 (14.3%) reported that parents do not make decisions regarding school staffing. The findings revealed that 16 (57.1 %) of headteachers reported that pupils are motivated by the provision of certificate whenever they do anything exemplary while 12 (49.9 %) indicated that they are motivated by the providing them with a special meals. The study concluded that high enrolment affects few resourses which are available in schools, members of the community are actively involved in staffing of teachers especially in soliciting funds to pay the BOM teachers, parents make decisions regarding school staffing and motivation was done by rewarding performing head teachers and staff in various ways. Study recommended that government should to liase with the education stakeholders to add more resourses in schools, to take care of high eonrolment; members of the community are highly encouraged to be actively involved in the provision of quality education; education stakeholders to make decisions regarding school staffing and motivation by rewarding performing head teachers, staff and pupils be encouraged in various ways.