School facility inequalities: challenges of ghetto accommodation by community secondary school students in Babati district

The main objective of this study was to explore the challenges of ghetto accommodation in community secondary school students in Babati district. Findings indicated that students residing in ghettos faced five major problems. These included: inadequate basic needs, indiscipline problems, gender based violence, early marriages and eviction from the rooms (ghettos), especially when there was delay in paying rent fees. The main reason for students to stay in ghettos was the long distance from home to school. Other causes which were closely associated with the main cause were wild animals on the way to and back from school, infrastructural problems, excessive household chores, lack of enough studying time and study groups and lastly some students were attracted to ghetto life for the sake of freedom from parents and teachers’ supervision. Some strategies were used by parents to reduce the effects of ghetto accommodation but they were not being successful. It was also found out that parents, teachers and students do not support ghetto accommodation due to the aforementioned problems and higher living costs in ghettos. Parents and teachers would like their students to study in a boarding school or else walk a short distance to school. They believe that this could be among the factors that could improve their academic performance. The study recommends that the government has to prioritize the issue of addressing community secondary schools accommodation. Moreover, the local government and political leaders have to strengthen already existing schools rather than establishing new ones whose quality is far below the standard. Equally important, there is need for law enforcement, particularly on perpetrators of Gender Based Violence.