Pre-primary educational policy and quality of early childhood education in Ngara district, Kagera region-Tanzania

Abstract

The study sought to examine the effect of pre-primary educational policy on the quality of early childhood education in Ngara district, Kagera Region-Tanzania. The study was guided by the following specific objectives to: determine role of the Government Support towards the quality of early childhood education, assess the relationship between Infrastructure being used and the Quality of early childhood education and establish the role of Instructional materials in enhancing the quality early childhood education in Ngara District, Kagera Region-Tanzania. The study adopted a cross-sectional design involving both qualitative and quantitative techniques were used for the mutual validation of the data. The study sample size of 104 respondents comprising of DEO, inspectors of schools, head teachers, teachers and students was selected using simple random and purposive sampling techniques. Data was collected using questionnaires and interview. The findings revealed that, the implementation of the ECE policy is practically enforced through government providing funding, supplying curriculum, syllabus, as well as enhancing capacity building for pre-primary teachers. Further still, the findings also revealed that there were almost no Games materials and coloured pictures that could be used to entice pre-primary learning in Ngara district, furniture was insufficient could not accommodate the children well. The role of Instructional materials in enhancing early childhood education in Ngara District was low. Lack of government funding, quality assurance mechanisms, teacher professional development, classroom block constructions, community involvement, material availability and syllabus availability were inadequate and still calls for government intervention. Infrastructure at Ngara pre-primary schools, some of them well designed and others were in process of being designed so as to suit the young, to provide bouncy and eager pre-schoolers, keeping in mind their inquisitive and explorative nature. There is need to institutionalise maximum co-operation between the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT), and other stakeholders to work out a long-term goal to have quality infrastructure and resources for quality pre-primary education.