Challenges of the Form One Orientation Programme in Tanzania: Experiences from Selected Community Secondary Schools in Moshi District Council

Abstract

The study objective was to identify the specific challenges of the Form One Orientation Programme (FOP) in community secondary schools within Moshi District Council. A qualitative research approach with a case study design was adopted. Two secondary schools were selected, with a total of 5 participants, including 2 Heads of Schools (HOS), 1 District Secondary Education Officer (DSEO), and two 2 Schools Quality Assurers (SQA). Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and unstructured observations. Findings show that the majority of schools struggle to implement the FOP due to institutional barriers such as transferring of Form One students while the FOP is in progress, managing overcrowded classrooms, late reporting of students, and a lack of training for heads of schools in supervising the FOP. The study recommended future studies that could adopt a quantitative or mixed approach, using larger samples to assess the challenges of the FOP, to generalise the findings and examine strategies for unlocking the barriers to successful FOP.