The Impact of Teachers' Shortage in the Education System in Tanzania

INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Problem and its Context
The cry on the teachers’ shortage in the education system in Tanzania can be traced back to the pre- independence period. Schools which had the problem of teachers’ shortage were mainly those which were meant for the Africans while a European school has no teachers’ shortage; the Asians schools were in between the two extremities (Bogonko, 1992, Njabili 1999). To date the problem is still dominant particularly in the remote areas. The current study therefore, intended to examine the impact of teachers’ shortage on the internal efficiency of the primary school education system as measured by learners’ variety of internal efficiency indicators for example drop rates and completion rates.

1.2 Background to the Problem
A school is a place purposefully established to facilitate the whole process of teaching and learning subject to measurement and evaluation. It expected to facilitate the process of learners acquiring knowledge, skills and attitudes that are essential in everyday human life. As Nyerere (1968) pointed out, at school, a child is expected to develop his mind to its maximum capacity. In the realization of this expectation a school should have sufficient human and material resources as important vehicles in facilitating the development of the learners in all aspects. The demand for the primary education in Tanzania is very high because if provide a base for national development. In essence the Tanzania development vision 2025 sees education as a critical factor in creating the mind necessary for national development. Moreover, education creates the competitive economy that will be the driving force for the realization of the vision (Maliyamkono and Mason, 2006). The fact is that up to now it is the only level in the education system supplies the majority of the people in the work force in the national economy in the country particularly in the private sector, agriculture being the leading one. For this matter, one can suggest that education is the key instrument in achieving the first Millennium Development Goal which aims at eradicating extreme poverty and hunger (UN, 2006)

2.1.1 The Role of Teacher in the Teaching and Learning Process
According to the Basic Education Development Committee (BEDC, 2001) the teacher in the classroom is the main instrument for bringing about qualitative success in the teaching and learning process. As such, any problem related to the teachers environment. Omari (2006) for example, points out that the teachers role in the classroom consist of variety of moves and activities meant facilities and advance the attainment of the lesson goals. Ikejiani (1964), Heymen (1976) and Ishumi and Nyirenda (2002) also suggest that, for the learning and teaching to prosper, dynamic process of interaction between a teacher, a learner and the subject matter is crucial. Thus few educational authorities would disagree that good school have the best trained and most experienced teachers in facilitating the process of teaching and learning in the classroom situation so as to bring about the desired that teachers are equitable distributed and retained equally well at every school particularly those in the remote rural areas.

2.1.2 Demand and Supply of Teachers’ and the Teachers’ Shortage
The balance between the demand and supply of teachers as an important resource in the provision of education in the country is not satisfying. The statistics indicated that the number of new teachers recruited and deployed during the implementation of the Primary Education Development Plan (PEDP) was inadequate to keep pace with the need for teachers in all districts in the country hence resulting to the teachers’ shortage in all district (MOEC, 2003). The status concerning teacher’s shortage during the implementation of PEDP led to the wide teacher: Pupil Ratio (TPR’s), which deteriorated with the increasing years of PEDP implementation (See Table 1.)
Table 1: The Trend of Teacher: Pupil Ratio (TPR’s) Before PEDP Implementation and during PEDP Implementation (1996 – 2007) in Tanzania.

YEARS
TPRs BEFORE PEDP IMPLEMENTATION
TPRs DURING PEDP IMPLEMENTATION

1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
TPRs
36
37
38
40
41
46
53
47
59
56
53
54
Source: Best, 2007
The teacher’s shortage was more noticeable in the primary school located in the remote rural areas than those in urban areas. For example it was observed that in 2002 some remote districts received only 50 percent of the new teachers allocated to them (MOEC, 2003). Similar observation was by Mulkeen, (2005:3) who state that in many African countries teachers prefer to teach urban areas. As a result rural school may be left with empty posts. As consequence many remote rural schools have insufficient teachers. This implies that schools in the rural districts had always been subjected to constant problems of teachers’ shortage and its repercussion to the quality of education. The teacher’s shortage can be clearly discussed by considering three periods which dominated the process of education provision in the country.

Teachers During the Pre- Colonial Period
During the pre- colonial in Africa it was responsibility of elders in various African societies to provide education to the young generation. They used to pass to their young knowledge, skills, and attitudes that were very important in mastering their environment. During this period there was no teachers’ shortage because all the elders play their role efficiency in educating their children to a greater or lesser degree (Nyerere, 1967)

Teachers during the Colonial Period
During the colonial era the colonial power took deliberate effort to disrupt the indigenous education system. The colonial regarded African traditional education as a primitive and barbaric, with no contribution to the development of the African people. The introduction of a formal education system was intended to inculcate the western norms and values in the African minds (Nyerere, 1967, Mutiso, 1975 and Sifuna, 1976 as citied in Narman (2004). This colonial was also aimed at training few African individuals to serve the colonial administrator as workers in the lower cadres. It was colonial oriented for the purpose of serving the interest of the colonialists. The teacher’s shortage during this period was characteristic feature which dominated the schools allocated for black African (Njabili, 1999). During this period the education system was run on racial bases whereby the best schools were allocated to the Europeans and the Asians respectively leaving the citizens that are black African, with poor equality schools. For example in 1946 the government expenditure was $1.9 per African pupils head $4.4 for the Asian and $38 for Europeans (Msekwa and Maliyamkono, 1975). This affected the adequate availability of human and material resources to the schools allocated for the Africans

Teachers during the Post - colonial Period
The teacher’s shortage continued issue during the post- colonial period as well. The problems become serious when Tanzania started to implement the Musoma Resolution in 1974, as a strategic policy to achieve EFA by 1977. The implementation of the Musoma Resolution went hand in Hand with implementation of Education Self – Reliance. This policy originated from the Arusha Declaration which mainly was based on the Education for the Self Reliance and socialism policies (Nyerere, 1968). Among the other things the Musoma Resolution emphasized that every school age child had to be enrolled for primary education through the programme. This came to be commonly known as Universal Primary Education (UPE). The implementation of Musoma Resolution resulted into six fold increase in the number of primary school which requires an additional of 40000 teachers out of the 10,000 who could be produced (MONE, 1977, Lene, 1994). As the result the teacher’s shortage continued to be a serious problem facing all primary school in the country. Hussen and Neville (1985) and Bogonko 1992 pointed out that the teachers shortage caused by UPE implementation, was so serious and negatively affected the school teaching and learning process. As it has to be noted that after independence education was not produced on racial bases thus all the schools were made accessible to all (Njabili, 1999).

1.3 Statement of the Problem
The internal efficiency in remote rural schools is more discouraging than in urban schools due to among others the shortage of teachers. The problem becomes worse when it comes to allocation of new teachers or deployment where rural schools stand on the disadvantaged side. In addition, studies have shown that rural schools have more difficulties related to internal efficiency than their urban counterpart as related to shortage of teachers. The current study intended to examine the status of the TPRs, the salient factors for the remote rural primary schools teachers’ shortage in Coast Region and the manner to which this teachers’ shortage affects the internal efficiency of primary education in the area.

2.0 THE PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study was to find out the extent and manner to which teachers’ shortage contributes to the rural primary education in Coast Region. It was intended to come out with measures to be adopted in order to get rid of the problem of teachers’ shortage in the remote areas
2.1 Specific Objectives
The study was intended to achieve the following
a. To examine the state of Teachers’: Pupil ratio in remote rural areas of Kibaha Rural District with focus to primary education.
b. To explore the silent factors that causes primary school teachers’ shortage in Kibaha rural District 2.2 Research Tasks
The study was guided by four research tasks and questions for data collection and analysis. To achieve the objectives of the study the following tasks were conducted.
Objective 1, to investigate the state of Teacher: Pupil Ratio in remote rural areas as compared to primary schools with a conducive environment
Research task 1, what is the trend in teacher: Pupil Ratio in remote rural areas as compared to primary schools with a conducive environment?
Objective 2, To explore the silent factors that causes primary school teachers’ shortage in Kibaha rural District
Research Task 2, what are silent factors that causes primary school teachers’ shortage in Kibaha rural District?

2.3 Significance of the Study
The study intend to provide a detailed description on how the teachers’ shortage has an impact to the whole process of education provision in the primary schools located in remote rural areas. Specifically the findings are expected to;
First contribute knowledge to the existing literature about the impact of teachers shortage on the internal efficiency of primary schools located in the remote rural area in Kibaha District
Second, stimulate further research on the effect of teachers’ shortage on the internal efficiency of the primary school located in the remote areas.
Third, provide useful recommendations to the policy maker’s educational planners, administrators, and other stakeholders on the best way to solve the problem so as to improve the quality education in primary schools located in remote areas.

2.4 Definition of the Terms
Internal Efficiency: is an education indicators that is measured by the rate of enrollment, dropout, repletion, survival, pass, completion and transition from the point of entry to the point of departure while external efficiency is measured by the quality of the product of the education system and its usefulness to the society (Chiuri and Kiumi, 2005)

Performance: Hornby (2000) defines performance as an action to achievement considered in relation to how successful it is. For the purpose of the study, performance can be referred to the way pupils did their financial standard seven examinations and the pass rates they obtained.

Remote Rural areas; Hornby (2000) defines remote area, house, or village that is long way from any town or cities. For the sake of this study, remote rural areas are areas that are found far away from the headquarters of the regions districts division and sometimes wards. They are usually subjected to poor transport and other social services such as hospitals and market.

2.5 Summary
In this Mini Research Project different issues have been covered. These include an introduction to the study which highlights the rationale of the study; background to the problem in pre- colonial, during colonial and postcolonial periods. It also presents statement of the problem the purpose of the study, specific objectives, research task, significant of the study and definitions of specific terms used in the study. The next part explains on the research methodologies which were applied in the study.
3.0 METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Methodology; This part entails description of research methods which were employed in the study. It comprises research approach, research design, and geographical settings, of the study, sampling techniques, research instruments and validation of research instruments and data analysis
There are mainly two research approaches, quantatively and quantitative paradigms (Opie, 2007). This study employed research attributes from both quantitative and qualitative paradigms. It was considered that the use of components from both paradigms would complement each other. However for the purpose of this study the quantitative approach dominated more than the quantitative one. The qualitative approach dominated because the researcher wanted to collect in depth subjective information on individual opinion view and effects of teacher’s shortage in primary school in rural areas of Kibaha.
3.2 Research Design
Research design is an arrangement of conditions for data collection in manner that aims to combine relevance of the research purpose (Kothari, 1990). It a strategy for data collection that seeks to describe a unit in detail by using few examples of the phenomena (Trompo and Kombo, 2006). For the purpose of this study a case of Kibaha district was used for data collection and analysis so as to help the researcher to be able to describe the impact of teachers shortage in primary school in detail by using small selected sample size from the context of the geographical setting of the study area. The case study design was selected because it is suitable for collecting information in an in-depth manner. For example in this study in – depth information was sought from the respondents. Hence, it was expected that from these in –depth information, the researcher will be able to get picture of a certain feature of social behaviour or activity particularly in primary school teachers shortage and internal efficiency and identify what could be the factors influencing the situation (Opie, 2007)

4.0 DISUSSING OF THE RESULTS
This part analyzes and discusses the finding as related to the study objectives. In particular it focused on the state of Teachers – Pupils Ratio (TPRs) in remote rural areas, and the salient factors that lead to the teacher’s shortage in remote rural areas.

4.1 The State of Teacher: Pupil Ratio (TPRs)
4.1.1 The General Teacher: Pupil Ratio (TPRs) in Kibaha Rural District
Objective one intended to examine the state of TPRs in remote rural areas compared to their counter conducive primary school in Kibaha Rural District. The teacher – Pupil ratio is the ratio between a teacher and the related number of pupils required for school teaching and learning process to be effective. According to the education circular No. 4 and 5 of the year 2003 MOEC 2003 the TPRs need to be 1:40 if the effective teaching and learning to be achieved.

According to the District Educational Officer in Kibaha Rural District Council the researcher manage to get information in relation to the number of the students enrolled and the number of the teachers employed as summarized in Table below
Table 4.1 Enrollment in Relation to the Number of Teachers
District
No. of Pupils
No. of Teachers
TPR
Teachers in Upgrading courses
Kibaha Rural
79,114
1572
1:50
83
Total
79,114
1572
1:50 83
Source: District Education Officer in Kibaha Rural District Councils
The data in table above indicate that there are a total of 114,862 pupils enrolled in district and the teachers pupils ratio was 1:50. The ratio implies that schools had large sizes than the Ministry of Education criteria which demand TPRs of 1:40 (Education Circular Number 4 and 5 of 2003, MOEC 2003). Wider Teacher Pupil Ratio could be interpreted that there was a high shortage of teachers who were needed in most schools. Generally, 572 teachers were found to be needed. Moreover the shortage of teachers in these schools was increase by the certain number of teacher’s exodus to different upgrading programmes in the country and abroad. Though this process is important for teachers’ professional development, but experience shows that when these teachers complete their programme they never go back to their original working posts. Hence making it very difficult to replace them.

The general objective of the education system in Tanzania is for the pupil to achieve the desired knowledge and skills, hence, an adequate number of teachers are needed in the classrooms to give psychological and physical support needed by the pupils. The teachers’ shortage becomes even worse when teachers were recorded at their working stations but physically the teachers were not there. The study reveals that some teachers were attending various programmes in colleges and Universities both within the country abroad. The absence of teachers from their working stations for the period ranging from two five years worsened the wide teachers – pupil ratio in many primary schools. For example in Kibaha rural 83 have gone for professional programmes. If this is to be trend and these teachers return to their stations it is an advantages, otherwise if they do not return then these school will continue losing more teachers and the Teacher – Pupil Ratio will increase.

Also the major reasons for the large sizes in the district including among other, the tremendous increase in pupils enrolment rates without a significant increase in the number of teachers particularly during PEDP implementation 2002 to 2006. Wide TPR’s directly deteriorated the equality of education as it forced the remaining teachers to carry heavy teaching loads. On the basis of the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training Regulations, the average teaching load per week is 24 periods (the equivalent of 16 hours per week URT, 1996). But in remote rural areas one teacher was found having more than 45 periods per week, which is twice as normal. The researcher observed that large classes caused daily teaching responsibilities to be tedious. In addition to that this discouraged teacher’s morale to work so that they abhorred the teaching profession as one teacher from Mlandizi primary school was quoted in despair
“We work in a very difficult environment. As were only three at the school the distribution of the subjects to teach among us does not even fit in the school timetable. Everyone is forced to have division of more than 45 periods per week. Teaching turns to be so tedious job that very few people can be attracted to. I would encourage none of my children to join the teaching profession”. (A primary school teacher)
Overloading of periods to the teachers characterized infective teachers in most remote rural areas. According to Mwamwenda (1995), for the teachers to be effective they must have time for through lesson preparation. Similarly, it was observed that poor TPRs had not only affected innocent pupils but also the equality of education. As such the global declarations on EFA are likely to end up in vain in Kibaha District if this trend will continue and no measures are taken to rescue the situation.

4.2 Salient Factors Leading to Persistence of Teachers’ Shortage in Remote Rural Areas
The objective two was intended to examine the salient factor leading persistence of teachers shortage in remote rural primary school in Kibaha District these include for example the teachers negative attitude towards working in remote areas
The general teachers attitudes towards working in remote rural areas and related questions were asked, and their responses are shown in Table below
Table 4.2 Teachers Attitudes towards Working in Remote Rural Areas
Question

Respondents with Yes
Respondents with No

Remote Rural areas
Conducive Environment areas
Remote Rural areas
Conducive Environment areas

33 respondents
48 respondents
33 respondents
48 respondents
Do you like to be working at this station Yes or No
4(12%)
36(76%)
29(88%)
12(24%)
Source: Field Study, 2011
The data summarized in Table above indicate that a great number of teachers who was found in remote rural areas disliked working in those areas. For example it was indicated that only about 4(12 percent) respondents that were found in remote rural agreed that they preferred working in the rural areas. Responses from these teachers showed that they did not like to be transferred to other working stations because it was their home area so they wanted to be close to their families. The other respondents gave the reasons that they were about to retire so they did not want any transfer. Reasons from one respondent indicate that working in that environment was preferred because the climatic condition does not allow the presence of different diseases such as malaria. This response however reflects views of small number of respondents involved in the study. Generally this implies that teachers are motivated to work particular locality by a variety of factor.
In the conducive environment the situation was very different as the most of the teachers that is 36 (76 percent), said that they were comfortable with their working stations. For many of these respondents the major reason given was that, their working stations were close to important social services such as hospitals, bank and market.

On the other side, most of the respondents that is 29(88%) in remote rural areas said that they dislike to work in their working stations. It was found that most of them preferred to other working stations so as to change their poor working environment as one respondents was quoted saying;
“Nihamishwe nimekaa mno na nimechoka kutembea kwa miguu”
“let me transferred, I have stayed for too long time also I am tired walking on foot” ( researcher translation) (A Primary School teacher)

The foregoing quoted argument implies that teachers are left to stay in one working station , particularly the remote rural one, for long time without transfer, making people tired and do not want to work effectively.

For teachers in the conducive environment school the situation was opposite. Most of the respondents said that they did not prefer a transfer to other working stations. They said that they fear that transfer may locate them far away from the important social services such as transport markets and hospitals which are currently easily accessible by being at the presents stations.

5.0 Summary of the Findings
Generally the study found that the remote rural areas persistently experienced wider TPRs due to teacher’s shortage. The study found that PEDP had done well in increasing pupil’s enrollment, increasing class room buildings, but not on improving the teachers: Pupils Ratio (TPRs) and teacher’s motivation. But what were the pupils enrolled for? For classroom building? They were mainly enrolled for different class complex activities and processes which were mainly initiated, promoted and developed by teachers.
The study found out that in the remote areas there are different pushing factors that always make the teachers either reluctant accept the remote rural posting or total giving them up, hence, causing teachers shortage. These are such as poor availability of the important social services, higher transport expenses and poor transfer. In addition it was found that there had been un proportional supply of teachers to the present district specific needs hence altogether result into the persistence remote rural teachers’ shortage.
5.1 Conclusions
In the views of these mini research project findings on the impact of teacher’s shortage on the primary schools the following conclusions emerged.
Wider TPRs caused by teachers’ shortage was found a common characteristic features dominated in remote rural primary schools. Despite the different strategies taken by the government to improve education in our country, the teachers’ shortage seems to be chronic problem that impedes the provision of equality education.
In remote rural areas there are different pushing factors that always make the teachers get out their working stations including unreliable transport, hence the teachers shortage. It was found that although education needed to be provided to all in equitable manner, the remote rural primary school seemed to be deprived of equality education for both pupils with better participation in schooling and those pupils with poor participation were found affected.

Reference
Ikejiani O. (Ed). (1964) Nigeria Education: Britain: Western Printing Service Ltd.
Kombo, D.K and Tromp, D.A (2007) Proposal and Thesis Writing: An Introduction. Nairobi: Paulines Publications Africa.
Msekwa P. and Maliyamkono, T.L (1975) The Experiments: Education Policy Formation Before and After Arusha Declaration; A case in Mtwara. MA (Thesis). University of Dar es Salaam
Njabili A. F. (1999) Public Examination: A tool for Curriculum Evaluation. Dar es Salaam Tanzania: Muture Education Publisher.
Nyerere JK (1967) Education for Self Reliance. Dar es Salaam: Government Printer
Omary, I.M (2006). Effective Teaching and Learning. In Omary, I.M (ed) (2006) Education Psychology for Teachers: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: University of Dar es Salaam
Opie, C. (Ed.) (2007). Doing Educational Research. London: Sage Publication

APPENDIX A.
Dodoso kwa Walimu
1. Jinsi yako ME…………. KE………….
2. Umekuwepo hapa shuleni tangu mwaka gani?
3. Je unapendelea kuwepo hapa shuleni au ungependa kuhamishwa katika shule nyingine? ........................................
4. Kwa nini unapenda/hupendi kuhamishwa?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
5. Kama unapenda kuhamishwa unapendelea kuhamishwa kwenda wapi na kwa nini
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

6. Pana umbali kiasi (KM) gani kutoka

A: Shuleni pako hadi makao makuu ya Wilaya yako………………
B: Shuleni pako hana usafiri wa gari………………………