Improving the Quality of Basic Education through the Use of Gender-Sensitive Student Councils: Experience of Six Selected Districts in Tanzania

Commonwealth of Learning. 4710 Kingsway Suite 2500, Burnaby, BC V5H 4M2 Canada. Tel: 604-775-8200; Fax: 604-775-8210; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.col.org

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8

Gender Differences; Student Government; Foreign Countries; Democracy; Leadership; Advocacy; Student Rights; Elementary Schools; Secondary Schools; Administrator Attitudes; Teacher Attitudes; Student Attitudes; Principals; Mentors; Student Leadership; Focus Groups; Females; Equal Education; Educational Quality; Interviews; Accountability; Journal Writing; Qualitative Research

2311-1550

This paper analyses whether the gender-sensitive and democratically elected student councils helped in strengthening school leadership and providing a platform for increased awareness and advocacy for male and female students to address their needs and rights in primary and secondary schools in Tanzania. The data were collected through qualitative methodology using in-depth interviews with purposively selected 29 school heads, 35 mentor teachers, 24 champions and 54 student leaders. Other data were obtained from focus-group discussions with 590 student leaders. The findings show that the student council plays a major role in strengthening school leadership and increasing the ability of students, particularly girls, to voice their needs and concerns. Some students' needs and concerns were sexual harassment, the right to quality education and health services and the elimination of corporal punishment. The use of student councils helps to improve the delivery of quality education in schools.

As Provided

12

2017

EJ1149182