School Quality Assurance Guidelines: Status of Implementation in Private Secondary Schools in Sumbawanga Municipality, Tanzania

Abstract

School Quality Assurance Guidelines (SQAGs) were adopted in Tanzania as a lens through which the quality standards in all aspects of school life would be monitored, assessed, evaluated and reported. This study sought to assess the implementation of school quality assurance guidelines in private secondary schools in Sumbawanga Municipality. It was underpinned by the Value-Added Theory by Neil Smelser (1962). The study was guided by two objectives: to describe the extent to which academic staff qualifications and teaching abilities in private secondary schools meet the school quality assurance guidelines, and to assess the quality of facilities and infrastructure in private secondary schools. The study employed convergent parallel design under mixed research approach method. Sample sizes of 94 participants were involved in the study including teachers, heads of schools, Municipal Education Officer, and School Quality Assurance Officers. Data was gathered through questionnaires, interview guides and observation checklists. Quantitative data was coded by using descriptive statistics with the support of Statistical Package for Social Science version 21. Qualitative data were organized into themes and analyzed thematically. The results show that to a large extent private secondary schools met the quality assurance guidelines due to quality of facilities and infrastructures. Also, it was revealed that private secondary schools faced challenges in the implementation of quality assurance guidelines such as shortage of funds, high taxes, inadequate number of teachers- to mention but a few. The study recommended that private secondary schools should be more committed in implementing quality assurance guidelines through developing quality assurance plans and programs and develop school generating income activities. Additionally, the study recommended for the government to provide support and subsides to private secondary schools to remedy the challenges and enhance the implementation of quality assurance guidelines.