Efficacy of strategies for management of teachers’ attrition in chalinze District public secondary schools

Teacher attrition is a global challenge in the education sector, and many developed and developing countries are struggling to staff and retain teachers in schools, particularly in rural, districts. In most of these countries Tanzania in particular, the efficacy of teachers’ attrition management strategies continues to be uncertain. The aim of this study is to examine such management strategies of teacher attrition in Chalinze district public secondary schools in Tanzania. The study adopted a theoretical framework, particularly from Lee’s secondary school teaching push and pull factor. Data were sequentially collected in three phases using interviews and focus group discussions. The sample respondents included 52 education stakeholders; a DHRO and DSEO, five heads of school, thirty-five current secondary school’s teachers, and ten former secondary school teachers from five public secondary schools in Chalinze district in Tanzania. Miles and Hurberman model of qualitative data processing and thematic method of data analysis were used. The current study revealed that despite the application of different teachers’ attrition management strategies, attrition is still very high among public secondary schools in Chalinze district. The study also found the following respective physical and structural, social and psychological factors such as poor salary, poor working environment, poor logistics and bureaucracies, poor and inadequate accommodation, inadequate induction programmes and heavy workload and associated stress to be the main cause of attrition. From the result it was also found that the several respective pre-occurrence, intermediate and post-occurrence attrition strategies such as on time payment of sustenance allowances, daily teacher attendance, counseling, provision of loans and in-service training programmes to help teachers’ attrition. Most of the intermediate and some of the pre and post occurrence strategies were somehow effective; however provision of loans, in-service training and motivational packages seemed to be ineffective because they depend much on fiscal status. Based on these findings; the study recommends that the district and school management should work closely with educational stakeholders and NGOs to support effective strategies to mitigate teachers’ attrition. Nevertheless, the schools are employing a range of strategies to address the problem.