The impact of refugees on secondary school education development in Kibondo district, Tanzania: a case of selected secondary schools

The study was designed to determine the impact of refugees on secondary school education development in Kibondo district. Specifically, the study was set out so determine the impact of refugees on development of physical infrastructures on Secondary School Education, to assess the impacts of refugees on the quality of secondary school education in Kibondo district and to identify the challenges facing secondary school transformed from refugees compass to secondary schools. The descriptive case study design within the qualitative and some elements of quantitative inquires was deemed necessary for the study. Data were sought through questionnaires, interview, focus group discussion and documentary review. A sample of 100 respondents from four secondary schools and two villages was used statistics in terms of frequencies and percentages were used to summarize questionnaires data. Findings that the presence of refugees substantially influenced the development of the secondary education infrastructures such as classrooms, teachers house and hostels and laboratories; resources such as teachers, books and desks;; as access of water and electricity services improved; students dropout and teacher attribution was reduced. However, some factors which were found to militate against the positive development of secondary schools included teachers being unsatisfied and unmotivated to teach; challenges such as poor management of secondary schools and indiscipline among students; lack of qualified teachers and poor academic performance; lack of community awareness, and lack of financial resources were identified to be the major challenges facing secondary schools. The study concluded that, the presence of refugees in Kibondo district had influenced the development of secondary school education in terms of infrastructures, teachers recruitment, students enrolment and quality education. Therefore, refugees should not be associated with burden all the time but to some extent refugees have led to social economic development of the host state. The school and refugee camps left the refugees are good schools, which can be used for future educational activities. The study recommended that, greater monitoring efforts must be created to Regions in Tanzania, which hosted refugees in order to support them.