The Role of Government and Community in Supporting Street Children Access Education in Arusha City

Lema, Joyce W. (2014) The Role of Government and Community in Supporting Street Children Access Education in Arusha City. Masters thesis, The Open University of Tanzania.

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Abstract

This study investigated the role of government and local community in supporting street children access education in Arusha city. The study had three objectives: assess the effectiveness of the existing policies on the rights of children in assisting street children to access education on the rights of children; examine the government responsibilities to the problem of street children; and explore the community responsibilities to the problem of street children. Mixed method was used to access information through questionnaires, interviews and documentary review from 70 respondents of whom 20 were parents, 30 street children. The rest were education official in different levels, one Regional Administrative Secretary, five ward executive officials, five Non Governmental organization representatives, 6 local leaders and 3 religious leaders. The key findings indicated that although the government of Tanzania has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), the African Youth Charter 2006, the Convention on the Elimination of all kinds of discrimination against children, it has not been able to provide ways in which street children access those rights including a right to development through accessing education. Furthermore, although the community members understand their role in supporting street children, they do not feel responsible to supporting them or even advocating for the rights of street children. The study recommended that the government should devise a way to ensure that all the children include street children have the right to education and to other social and economic benefits. Also the community member should be in a forefront in providing street children with attachments, resources and opportunities to develop skills.

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