Non-Government Secondary Schools in Tanzania: Issues Related To Their Characteristics," Financing, Unit Costs and Student Selection

Abstract

This article offers a critical examination of the main characteristics of the
non-state secondary school eduCation sector in Tanzania. It discusses the
issues involved in the financing and unit costs of running these •private'
secondary schools. Particular emphasis is places on the sources of revenue
for these schools. In the article it is shown that the non-state secondary
education sector tends to introduce inequalities in the process of seeking to
achieve "efficiency and sustainability. Geographic, socio-economic and
gender imbalances in the society are shown to be reinforced by the
emerging non-governmental secondary school system which itself is shown
to be divided between high quality and low quality sub-systems.
Inequalities among religious groups and those between rural and urban
areas are also shown to be reinforced by the 'private' secondary school
"system. The wide differences in the expenses incurred in running boarding
schools as opposed to day schools also reinforce gender inequalities. Most
non-state schools are day as opposed to boarding schools which offer a
more COnducive environment for the education of girls. Where a non-state
school is a bOarding institution the article shows that such a school is likely
to be a seminary for boys.