Description:
The purpose of this study was to assess free education policy and students‟ completion
rates in community secondary schools in Missenyi district. Thus the specific objectives of
this study were to explore the current situation of the implementation of free education
policy, to determine the influence of free education policy on students‟ completion rate, to
establish the challenges community secondary schools are facing in the implementation of
free education policy and to identify effective strategies for the implementation of free
education policy.In accordance with the mixed research approach, adescriptive survey
design was used to collect data that involved the survey of 100 teachers and students from
three secondary schools. The survey results showed that the free secondary education
policy has been put into practice since its inauguration. Therefore, an awareness among
stakeholders on free secondary education policy, perhaps the access to quality education,
will be achieved as there will be flexibility among schools to perform various activities as
per given instructions.The findings create a consensus to the societies after establish free
secondary education policy, enrollment of students in secondary schoolsincrease and
completion rates is higher.But thechallenges which face free education policy in
community secondary school such as inadequate teaching and learning facilities,
settlement environment and insufficient funding. The study recommends that the
government should establish proper school infrastructures before the expansion of
enrolment. Moreover, there should be improved collaboration between schools, parents
and other institutions, teachers‟ motivation and provision of sufficient teaching and
learning facilities.