The implementation of the fee-free secondary education policy in Ukerewe district, Tanzania: Teachers’ points of view on increased classroom workload

Abstract

The implementation of the fee-free secondary education policy offers significant comprehension into teachers' points of view, particularly regarding workload challenges. Guided by Expectancy-Value Theory, this study explores teachers' points of view on the policy's implementation in the selected government secondary schools in Ukerewe District, Tanzania. A key focus is on whether the government sufficiently considered the increased teacher workload resulting from higher student enrolments. In this article, surveys, non-participant observations, and focus group discussions were utilised to collect  first-hand information. This was complemented by documentary reviews for secondary data. Qualitative data were thematically analysed, while quantitative data were processed using descriptive statistics. A five-point Likert scale was also designed to assess three hypothetical statements regarding teachers' points of view on the implementation of the policy. In this study,  90.63% of the teachers considered that their workload had significantly increased due to the surge in student numbers following the policy's implementation. The study concludes that the implementation process was flawed, as the government did not recruit additional teachers to meet the growing demand. The study recommends  the government  to invest in more educational resources and recruit additional teachers to better accommodate the expanding student population.