Exploration of the Rationale and Impact Of Boarding Schools at Pre- Primary Boarding Schools Level in Tanzania : case study of Arusha and Dar es salaam.

This is a psychosocial study exploring the rationale and impact of boarding schools for children ages 3-6 years in Tanzania. it is based on a case study of randomly selected five schools that had children in boarding at pre-primary school level (three from east Meru, in Arusha region, two from Kinondoni district, in Dar es salaam. The study investigated how the concept of children at tender age in boarding schools was being perceived by people of different disciplines, namely educationists/ teachers, sociologists, lawyers and other stakeholders in education such as parents and children themselves (the boarding school children) based on the findings of this study, it was concluded that the boarding schools for children of 3-6 years were depriving the children of the right of parental love and care. Secondly, the children were being affected by being subjected to rigorous intellectual/ cognitive development at the expense of emotive/ affective development. It is suggested that the Ministry of Education and Culture should impose strict rules and regulations in a form government policy about establishment, standards and operation of boarding schools for children. The policy has to set appropriate age for a child to be in a boarding school. In the light of this study, the most appropriate age was 12-15 years. It is also suggested that both the parliament and legislation bodies should enact laws to safeguard the rights and interests of the child in the framework of the changing social political and economic life that has created the boarding schools for children.