Strategic planning in public secondary schools in Tanzania: A survey of schools in Mwanza city

Tanzania is currently implementing the second phase of its national-wide Secondary Education Development Program (SEDP I1). Among other things, SED emphasises strategic planning in all public secondary schools as a way of effectively achieving its goals of improving access to, quality of and equity in education among other. However, eight years after introduction of SEDP little is known about the process of strategic planning in the schools. Therefore, I surveyed 15 public secondary schools with the purpose or profiling the process of strategic planning in public secondary schools in Tanzania. I used survey and document analysis to collect data. Findings of the study show that, several stakeholders (such as Heads of Schools, teachers, schools board members, parents, and students) were involved in different degrees and at different stages in the schools' strategic planning. The study established that, strategic planning in public schools focus on the following substantive areas: teaching and learning resources, physical resources, instructional activities, financial resource, teachers' professional development, and furniture, health of staff and students, and management. The study further revealed that, effective school leadership, cooperation among school stakeholders, and supportive government policies on schools strategic planning are factors that support strategic planning in public schools. On the other hand, the study found that, shortage of funds, lack of knowledge on schools strategic planning, putting individual interests above school's benefits, and poor communication between school and stakeholders about strategic planning and implementation of schools' strategic plans are factors hindering school strategic planning and implementation in public secondary schools.