Influence of Fee Free Education Policy on Students’ Academic Performance: A Case of Mkinga District, Tanzania.

Irene, Casmir (2025) Influence of Fee Free Education Policy on Students’ Academic Performance: A Case of Mkinga District, Tanzania. Masters thesis, The Open University of Tanzania.

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Abstract

This study on the influence of fee free education policy on students’ academic performance in secondary schools, was conducted at Mkinga District, Tanzania. Specifically, the study examines the effect of fee free education on enrolment rate in the public secondary schools, examine the relationship between enrolment rate and students’ academic performance and identifies the challenges encountered inthe implementation of fee free education policy on students’ academic performance. This study was guided by the Organizational Effectiveness Theory. The samplefor the study comprised 93 subjects. Questionnaire and interview were used in data collection. The study findings revealed that improvements in school infrastructure through the construction of new classrooms and laboratories during fee free education, effective monitoring of students’ academic performance are the common practices and key considerations under fee free education policy. The findings further, indicate that decrease in truancy rates, extracurricular activities, consistent attendance, have contributed to the improvement of students’ academic performance. The study also revealed that the effective implementation of the fee-free education policy has been hindered by large class sizes, shortages of school furniture, and heavy teacher workloads, all of which adversely affected students' academic performance.The study concludes that the fee-free education policy has both positive and negative implications for students' academic performance. Implication of these results suggests that to achieve the policy's intended outcomes, policymakers and educational stakeholders must address the identified challenges. It is recommended that the government and education stakeholders enhance the fee-free education policy through continued investment in school infrastructure and regular monitoring of student performance. Keywords: Fee free education policy, students enrolment and students academic performance

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