Dissertation (MA Education)The main objective of the study was to examine the effectiveness of public secondary schools on students' academic performance in higher learning institutions: the case of the University of Dodoma, College of Education. The study used predominantly a qualitative approach along with some elements of quantitative research approach. It adopted a case study design in investigating the effectiveness of public secondary schools on students' academic performance in higher learning institutions. Maslow's Theory of Hierarchy of Needs was used to guide the study. The sample involved 10 course instructors who were purposively selected and 70 students from both of second and third year at the University, who were randomly selected. Data collection was done using questionnaires, interviews, and documentary reviews. Information obtained was analyzed through content analysis for qualitative data and for quantitative data descriptive data analysis was used. The findings of the study revealed that the students' secondary education background have impacts on students performance in higher learning institutions. Those students from community based secondary schools are more at disadvantages compared to those students from central government secondary schools. The main challenges facing the students from the community secondary schools in higher learning are poor command of the English language and failure to make self reading from the provided materials because they were oriented to depend on teachers' notes from the secondary schools they went through. Among the copying strategies used by the students from the community secondary schools to overcome the challenges they face in higher learning institutions are making group discussions and more self studies after the lectures at the university. The study recommends improvement of the learning and teaching vi environment in both the CBSSs and CGSSs by addressing different challenges facing them so as to produce academically capable students who will make it to the university and successfully graduate and eventually get employed or work as selfemployed people for the benefits of the national in general. Also, for better improvement of performance in CBSS in Tanzania, every action taken during planning for the provision of quality education must clearly and strongly observe the quality dimensions of the school infrastructure.