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. Also most private secondary schools, students are funded from donors’ fund and owners’ income and the financial support is basing on the orphanage status, whether the student come from poor family, as well as the academic ability of the students is also looked at. It was recommended that , the Government to intervene so as to lower the amount of school fees charged, components of the school fees to include only cost which is directly related to the learning process  cost like audit fees and project fees, these has to be separately treated and they should bear a separate name. It was also recommended that the government has to ensure that there is a set number of students to be financially supported in each established private secondary school to increase number of sponsored students in the respective private secondary schools.