ANALYZING THE STRUGGLES OF STUDENTS AND GRADUATES OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN TANZANIA

Abstract

Education aims forever to provide a better life, and still, the aim is the same. However, the meaning of better has changed with time, particularly at the individual, national, and international levels. The changes for the betterment are influenced by many factors, including the country’s educational systems. This study finds a better situation of learning and easy job acquisition by exploring the struggles encountered by students and graduates from Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, institutions, and centers in Tanzania and highlighting the possible way forward. The Findings on students’ struggles in learning and struggles in the labor market (of getting jobs) after graduating from TVET colleges or centers of Tanzania are caused explicitly by the existing TVET system. TVET teachers are not well equipped with technological, management, and personal (TMP) skills, pedagogical skills, content knowledge, lack of commitments, poor motivations, and unrealistic technical and vocational policies. Students, parents and employers’ perceptions also contribute to students’ struggle in learning and job attainments. The study mainly answered the questions like why students struggle in learning and why they struggle in the labor market to get jobs. Several themes (thematic analysis) were drawn from the study and addressed/ attempted to answer the raised questions with references to the existing evidence of the Tanzanian context and Africa. The study is purely a qualitative. Lastly, the study strongly advises revamping the existing pedagogy in TVET and TVET policy due to their weaknesses in the educational system. Though, the government should take into consideration all issues noticed.  Article visualizations: