Fee-Free Education and Infrastructural Situation for Students with Disabilities in Public Secondary Schools in Morogoro Municipality

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume VI, Issue IV, April 2022 | ISSN 2454–6186

Fee-Free Education and Infrastructural Situation for Students with Disabilities in Public Secondary Schools in Morogoro Municipality

Ben Sanga^1*, Dr. Daphina-Libent Mabagala², Dr. Theresia J. Shavega^3
1Phd Candidate, Faculty of Education, The Open University of Tanzania. P.O. Box 23409, Dar es Salaam.
^2&3 Faculty of Education, The Open University of Tanzania. P.O. Box 23409, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
*Corresponding Author’s

Abstract: There has been less knowledge on whether the introduction of fee-free education has affected learning environment particularly infrastructural situation for students with disabilities in public secondary schools in Tanzania. This study aimed at examining the influence of fee-free education to the infrastructural situation for students with disabilities in public secondary schools in Morogoro Municipality. The study employed cross-sectional design, whereby, questionnaires were used to collect data. The study sample included one (1) Educational Officer, five (5) heads of schools, and 24 students with disabilities, who were obtained through purposive sampling technique. Other study sample included 73 teachers and 98 students without disabilities, obtained by stratified sampling technique, making a total study sample of 201 respondents. Factor, linear regression and correlational analyses were employed. It was revealed that fee-free education had significant influence to the infrastructural situation for students with disabilities in public secondary schools. The study recommended that since government is a major funder of fee-free education in public secondary schools, adequate budgets should be allocated to finance schools to enable provision of education in a friendly manner to all students including students with disabilities.

Keywords: Fee-free Education, Infrastructure, Students with Disabilities, Public Secondary Schools

I. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Universal education marks one of the significant concerns of governments around the world. The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights mentions education, particularly elementary education, as a fundamental human right. At the 1990 Jomtien World Conference on Education for All (EFA), the development community instituted the attainment of Universal Basic Education (UBE) as a top priority. About 189 nations and the international development community promised to guarantee universal basic education by 2015 (UNESCO, 2000).

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