School Quality Assurance Guidelines: Its Implementation and Challenges in Public Secondary Schools in Temeke Municipality, Tanzania

Quality assurance guidelines are indispensable elements in quality effectiveness and maintenance. The guidelines put more consideration on strengthening and promoting the quality of the teaching and learning process. This study aimed at assessing the implementation of quality assurance guidelines in promoting the quality of teaching and learning. It was guided by two research objectives; to describe the status of school quality assurance implementation, and to identify the challenges encountered by the internal and external School Quality Assurance Officers during quality assurance exercises. The study adopted a Mixed Methods research approach and a descriptive survey design. The targeted sample was drawn from Temeke Municipality and included six public secondary schools, 60 students, 34 teachers, 6 head of schools, 3 ward district officers, 1 district education officer and 6 district quality assurance officers. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and cross-tabulation. A synthesis of the findings revealed that public secondary schools in Temeke Municipality were exposed to quality assurance exercises by the school quality assurance officers. The findings also revealed that quality assurance reports were only shared to Education officer, Head of school, and teachers. Other stakeholders like students and ward education officers were not given the reports. On the basis of the findings, it was concluded that quality assurance guidelines are fairly implemented in secondary schools in Temeke Municipality. However, challenges such as shortage of funds, shortage of staff, lack of working facilities, overcrowded classrooms, and lack of transport and materials for SQAOs made it impossible for the guidelines to be effectively implemented and thus impeded the acquisition of educational competencies among students in public secondary schools in Temeke Municipality, Tanzania. Therefore, educational stakeholders should ensure adequate provision of resources to schools to facilitate the effective implementation of the quality assurance guidelines as stipulated in the NSQAF, (2017).