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This dissertation reports the findings of assessment of school management team’s skills in managing fee-free education funds in public secondary schools in Tanzania. Dodoma City Council was used as a case study. Three specific themes formed the objectives of this study, namely the perceptions of SMT members on government school fee allocations practices in the implementation of FFE in secondary schools in Dodoma City Council, the skills used by SMTs in managing FFE school funds, and the difference of FFE school funds in the management of the day and boarding public secondary schools. Informed by the administrative theory, the study employed the mixed-methods approach coupled with descriptive research design to generate data from 124 informants. These included heads of schools, school accountants, SMT members, teachers, and students. Data were generated through interviews, questionnaires, FGD, and documentary review. The qualitative data were analysed through thematic analyis and quantitative were analysed with the help of SPSS, version 25. For the first objective, the study revealed that the government timely releases school funds, SMTs have negative attitudes on the FFE allocation of funds percentagewise; (35%) for administrative expenses, (30%,) academic use, 15% students’ assessment usage, 10% students’ welfare and minor expenses (10%.) Further, the study revealed that very few SMT members had financial planning and retirement skills but majority of them had budgeting and expenditure skills. There are differences in managing school funds between public day and boarding schools. The study recommends the government keep on allocating FFE school fund and improve the FASS network. There is a need to increase the budget size from Tshs 25,000 to 50,000 per a child in the year, make online programme on SMTs financial management, and employ professional accountants to work in schools |
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