School environment and school performance in certificate of secondary examination in community secondary schools, 2001-2005

This study sought to assess the performance of community secondary schools in Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (CSEE). Data were collected from the National Examinations Council of Tanzania (NECTA), Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT) and a sample of four community secondary schools, two from urban and the other two from rural district in Morogoro region. The z score was used in comparing community and non-community secondary schools' and girls' and boys' performance, while chi-square test was used to analyse the association between availability of school facilities and school performance. Community secondary schools' performance was worse than that of non-community secondary schools and girls' performance was worse than that of boys throughout the years 2001 to 2005. During the school visits, separate discussions were made with heads of schools, teachers and female and male students separately. Transport was seen to be a serious problem for schools in the urban area, while non-availability of electricity and tap water and shortage of teachers and teachers' housing were critical problems for schools in rural areas. It is recommended that inspection services in secondary schools are strengthened to ensure that schools meet required conditions before being registered. The government and parents should emphasize on and put more investment on girls' education so that their performance in the CSEE improves.