Where is Community in the Community Schools Movement? Findings from a Public Expenditures Tracking Survey in Singida, Tanzania

Abstract

Using public expenditures tracking surveys (PETS) and the community participation theory, this study intended to document the role of community in community schools in Singida. Findings reveal that governance structures at the school level have so far been ineffective in ensuring accountability at the school level. It appears as if secondary schools are being established with a thrust from the central government by issuing both directives, and funds and guidelines on how to spend the money. This process, unfortunately, has tended to ignore the real community needs. At another level, the major school facility has almost always been the classrooms. It is the conclusion from this study that at school level such emphasis on classrooms has tended to ignore some equally important resources and facilities such as availability of quality teachers, staff housing, and availability of teaching and learning materials. It is the argument in this paper that community is not well placed in the community schools movement. The central government is still the major provider of school income and naturally the major dictating force to school expenditures. All these observations lead one wondering: “Where is community in the community schools movement?â€