A Survey on Assessment of the Prevailing School Fees for Private Secondary Schools in Tanzania

Abstract

Higher Education Students’ Loans Board (HESLB) has been
using secondary school fees as a key component in determining
neediness for loan applicants at Higher Education (HE). Such fees are
used as proxy indicator of the ability of parents/guardians to meet the
costs of higher education in complementing the Government effort. This
survey was conducted to assess the actual schools fees charged per
student in the private secondary schools. The survey was geared
towards achieving the following objectives (i) to examine the amount of
school fees charged per student by private secondary schools (ii) to
assess the components of school fees for private secondary schools (iii)
to determine schools with special scholarship/grants programmes and
the criteria thereof.
This survey was conducted in all regions countrywide after being
clustered into 5 groups (5 zones), Dodoma, Mwanza, Zanzibar, Arusha
and Mbeya. Private secondary schools were visited in which data were
collected from 260 respondents. Data collected were analyzed using
Excel and Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). Results were
summarized in Tables, Figures and in Narrative form.
The study concluded that currently private secondary schools are
charging school fees at a range of Tshs. 500,000 and Tshs.1,000,000. It
was further concluded that the components of the school fees as shown
by most of the private secondary schools visited includes examination
fees (Mock, National Examination Council-NECTA), Caution money,
Admission fees, Identity cards, Registration fees, Medical fees and
Boarding fees. It was further concluded that selection of students for
financial support is basing on the orphanage status, family background
and academic performance of the students. It was recommended that
the Government should set standard of the amount of school fees to be
charged in all private secondary schools as it is for the Public secondary
schools. It was further recommended that Private secondary schools
should ensure that components of school fees which do not directly
relate to the learning process are treated separately and not as part of
school fees for example inspection/ audit fees. It is also recommended
that the Government should set rules to ensure that there is a specific                                                                                                                              number of students to be financially supported by any established
private secondary school hence adequate participation of each private
secondary school in provisions of scholarships and/or grants.