The effectiveness of school inspectors current training programme: a case study of Dar es Salaam and Coast regions in Eastern Zone, Tanzania.

This study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of school inspectors' training programme. Specifically, the study intended to search how knowledge and skills are gained by school inspectors during the training and how such skills are effectively applied in the process of school inspection. The study involved Dare es Salaam and Coast regions in the Eastern Inspectorate zone. The sample of the study included trainers, trainee graduates, head teachers, teachers, school boards and students. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, documentary review, and focused group discussions. Such data were presented qualitatively in the form of tables and description. The study employed three research tasks. Task 1 was the assessment on the relevance of the current training programme. It was revealed that the course content was relevant and well organized. However, the duration of the course was inadequate short leading to superficial topics coverage and very little field practice. Similarly, contemporary topics were not given the priority as one would expect. Task 2 examined the quality of school inspectors and the inspection process. It was found that the training of inspectors involved the right activities but the criteria used to recruit trainers was not objective. Task 3 was to determine ways of making school inspection more effective. The need to improve school inspection was raised. As such problems to be resolved included lack of reliable transport to institutions, inadequate computer literacy, and absence of professional capacity building among school inspectors. The study recommended the training programmes in future be improved by including more clinical practice, as well as doing an evaluation of the course trainees for the purpose of determining the effectiveness of the course in developing appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes. Finally, to avoid knowledge relapse, in service training should be provided to school inspectors.