THE IMPACT OF FOLK EDUCATION TO FOLK DEVELOPMENT COLLEGES TARGET GROUPS IN TANZANIA

INTRODUCTIONThe impact of Folk Education highlights the following:i) Backgroundii) Impact Assessmentiii) Objectives of impact Assessmentiv) Methodologyv) Study Findingsvi) Challengesvii) Way Forward

1.0 BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT OF THE PROBLEM

1.1 Back groundFolk Development Colleges (FDCs) have been offering folk education

since 1975.

1.2 Goals 1.2.1 The goals of training have been:• To equip the participants (Adult Tanzanians) with knowledge and

skills to be self employed and self-reliant. • To enhance adults understanding and enabling them to solve their

immediate problems in the society.• To strengthen adults skills.

BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT OF THE PROBLEM

1.2.0 Goals• To widen their horizon on subjects including environmental

education, gender, civics, leadership, housekeeping, preventing the spread of HIV and mitigating impact of AIDS and principles of good governance, business, and entrepreneurship, market and credit referrals.

• To promote the skills including carpentry and joinery, masonry and bricklaying, motor vehicle mechanics, tailoring, cookery, bicycle repair, plumbing and other skills based training that are of felt need to the community.

2.0 IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF FOLK DEVELOPMENT COLLEGES

The FDCs has continued to impart knowledge and skills to communitiesunabated since 1975. Since then, no formal assessment of its impact has

been made.

In 2009, the Ministry of Community Development Gender and Children with financial support from CIDA was able to undertake such a study.

2.0 Methods used for FDCs Impact AssessmentA Task Force was formed by the Government together with the Ministry

staff to undertake a two fold study that would lead to establishment of the possibility of conducting formal Vocational Education Training alongside with the assessment of the impact of folk education to FDCs target groups. In this case we will deal with the Impact Assessment of folk education

2.0 IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF FOLK DEVELOPMENT COLLEGES

2.1 Terms of Reference The objective of the research was to assess the impact of folk education to

target groups and establish whether or not FDCs could provide both Folk Education and Vocational education. The specific objectives were as follows:-

• To assess the impact of FDCs long, short and outreach course training to their target groups so as to find out to what extent the targeted clientele benefited;

• To determine the type of skills training demanded in each college; • To conduct an inventory of the resources (financial, physical and human)

currently in place with the view to uncovering the resource status; and• To find out how FDCs should be strengthened in terms of human resources,

buildings and infrastructures and equipment so as to effectively provide both Folk Education.

3.0 OBJECTIVES OF IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF FOLK DEVELOPMENT COLLEGES

The main objective of the study was to assess the impact of folk education provided by FDCs to target groups. The specific objectives were as follows:-

• To assess the impact of FDCs long, short and outreach course training to their target groups so as to find out to what extent the targeted clientele benefited;

• To find out the type of skills training demanded in each college in order to provide the provide demand driven skills in the respective colleges;

• To conduct an inventory of the resources (financial, physical and human) currently in place with the view to uncovering the resource status; and

• To find out how FDCs should be strengthened in terms human

resources, buildings and infrastructures and equipment so as to effectively provide both Folk Education.

4.0 METHODOLOGY

In order to evaluate the impact of Folk Education provided by FDCs to its target groups; 5,048 respondents including 2,024 women and 2,024 men from all 54 FDCs, 2 CDTIs and 6 Vocational Education and Training Institutions participated.

The main respondents included FDCs tutors, students, graduates, peers who had not attended any FDCs, Board members, graduates parents, charismatic leaders, council leaders and Ministry officers as indicated in Table 1.

4.0 METHODOLOGY

4.0 METHODOLOGY

4.1 Data collecting instruments• The data collecting instruments included questionnaires, interview,

observation schedule and documentary guide; • The combination of the instruments helped to cross validate the data

collected;• Also the instruments were pre tested at Kisarawe and Kilosa FDCs to

ensure they were devoid of ambiguities and irregularities;• Two types of data collected from the respondents were quantitative

and qualitative.

4.2 Data Presentation and AnalysisQuantitative data were subjected to content analysis and interpreted

while qualitative data were quantified tabulated, interpreted and analyzed.

5.0 STUDY FINDINGS

5.1 Impact of Long, Short and Outreach Courses

The research findings revealed that Folk Education training in long, short and outreach training in FDCs has far reaching benefits to participants since they enable them to be self employed as well as being employed as indicated in Table 2.

5.0 STUDY FINDINGS

5.0 STUDY FINDINGS

Table 2 above indicates that • 348 (79%) of the sampled 443 FDCs graduates; 185 (84%) were men and

163 (74%) women were self employed or employed in formal and informal sector.

• The remaining 95 (21%) of the respondents were neither self employed nor employed;

• some of them 40 ( 9%) who graduated in 2008 and were not yet decided; a• some 55 (21%) complained that they had no working tools like sewing

machines, carpentry tools and capital to start their own income generating activities.

• It was also found out that 331 (95%) out of 348 of the graduates were self employed while 17 (5%) were employed in the formal and informal sectors such as FDCs, village offices, shops, hotels and Faith Based Organizations.

• Furthermore it was found out that communities surrounding 54 visited FDCs had more than 1404 technicians i.e on average each community surrounding the college had more than 26 technicians.

5.0 STUDY FINDINGS • According to local leaders the technicians facilitated the

development of the communities through technical activities they performed such as construction of schools, dispensaries, carpentry activities, tailoring, repair of buildings and infrastructure etc.

5.2 FDCs Graduate Peers On the other hand the sampled peers who did not pass through FDCs

and Vocational Training Institutions:• Only a few 201 (40%) were self employed mainly 127 (63%) of them

in agriculture; • Very few 70 (14%) were either casual laborers or security guards;• The remaining 116 (23%) were either jobless or involved in petty

trading commonly known as MACHINGA.

5.0 STUDY FINDINGS 5.3 FDCs on Crosscutting IssuesIt was also noted that FDCs enable the communities to increase their

knowledge particularly on crosscutting issues such as environment management, gender and HIV and AIDS; In addition it was revealed that:

• Communities preserved the environment particularly by promoting forestation;

• Promoted gender equality ; and • Some communities formed traditional dance groups to address the effects

of the HIV and AIDS scourge.

5.4 Ownership of Income generating projects The FDCs visited had groups of graduates who managed to own income

generating projects. Most of the groups had 4-6 employees who were able to generate on average Tsh 276,000 to Tsh 900,000 per project per month.

The respondents interviewed mentioned that they were able educate their children, build their residential houses, and paid for healthy facilities of their families as indicated in Table 3.

5.0 STUDY FINDINGS

5.0 STUDY FINDINGS

Table 3 indicates that decorations, catering, carpentry and welding projects were more paying. The least paying projects were tourist guide, agriculture, tailoring, business and masonry.

5.5 Skills Demanded by FDCs Target GroupsNinety three respondents from each FDC were asked to state at least 5

skills most demanded in the District. The following skills were mentioned as indicated in Table 4.

5.0 STUDY FINDINGS

5.0 STUDY FINDINGS

Table 4 shows that the most demanded skills mentioned by more than half of the FDCs respondents were carpentry, masonry, tailoring, motor vehicle mechanics, computer knowledge, welding, and fabrication, Electrical installation and food processing. Seemingly skills demanded were both traditional and modern.

5.6 Resource Status• The study revealed that FDCs had inadequate resources in terms of

human, financial and physical resources as indicated in Table 5.

5.0 STUDY FINDINGS

6.0 CHALLENGES

i. Inadequate budget especially recurrent and development costs for rehabilitation of buildings and other infrastructure compared to actual needs of colleges.

ii. Shortage of tutors needed in FDCs in comparison to actual need of the colleges. E.g. a total of 1500 tutors are needed in FDCs as against 373 present to-date;

iii. Inadequate in service training and professional advancement;iv. Shortages of technical equipment, teaching and learning

materials and assistive devices that are up to date and compatible with changing world for example computers, information technology, electronics and the use of power-tillers in agricultural activities;

6.0 CHALLENGES v. Shortages of transport facilities such as cars and motorcycles

and existence of worn-out and off-road transport facilities thus hindering outreach course services Eg only 4 cars out of 54 are operating;

vi. Infrastructure not accessible to people with disabilities;vii. The absence of needs assessment and tracer studies conducted

in FDCs;

7.0 WAY FORWARD

Based on the findings, the Task Force recommendations and the Directive from the Chief Secretary it is recommended that the way forward should be as follows:

i. FDCs should provide both Folk Education and Vocational Education.

ii. Strategies should be devised to ensure FDCs are resourced to enable them provide both folk and vocational education;

iii.Tanzania sh 67 Billions could be solicited aimed at enabling the 25 FDCs start the first phase of offering both folk and vocational education .

iv.Buildings and infrastructure should be rehabilitated, expanded and built including classrooms, workshops, dormitories ,staff houses, toilets;

7.0 WAY FORWARD iv. Buildings and infrastructure should be rehabilitated,

expanded and built including classrooms, workshops, dormitories ,staff houses, toilets;

v. In service and professional training should be provided to FDCs tutors and non teaching staff;

vi. Modern equipment and teaching and learning materials and assistive devices should be readily available in colleges in accordance to training needs in those colleges in order to improve both theory and practices;

vii. Training packages should be improved by conducting needs assessments and tracer studies so as to provide demand driven skills and inform the curriculum;

7.0 WAY FORWARD

viii. Training packages should be improved by conducting needs assessments and tracer studies so as to provide demand driven skills and inform the curriculum;

ix. Graduates should also be facilitated with tools and equipments which will enable them to start income generating activities after graduation;

x. To be able to provide modern skills the availability of sufficient and reliable electricity to all FDCs is necessary ;

xi. Transport facilities including motor vehicles should be purchased or maintained in order to facilitate training particularly outrech and follow up visits to ex-students (graduates).

8.0 CONCLUSION

Folk Education has far reaching impact to the community it is of paramount importance to the community, graduates, families and the nation in general.

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