AN ASSESSMENT OF FACTORS AFFECTING STREET CHILDREN ACCESS TO UNIVERSAL EDUCATION: A CASE OF NJOMBE TOWNSHIP COUNCIL

Abstract

The study purpose was to investigate factors affecting street children in accessing universal education in Njombe region in Tanzania. It focused on four strands that are to analyse factors experienced by street children to access universal education, to determine the role of community and government in supporting street children for universal education, to examine the consequences of missing universal education for street children and to assess the ways of improving accessibility of universal education for street children. A mixed methods research approach and cross-sectional descriptive design was adopted in the study. Purposive, snow bowling, and simple random sampling techniques were used to obtain the sample. 120 participants volunteered participation in the study. Data were collected through questionnaire, interviews, documents reviews and focus group discussion as well as researchers notes. Descriptive and thematic analysis procedures were used to analyse data. The data were presented in different formats, including charts, quotes and themes. Findings revealed that street children are still facing challenges of abuses and limitation to access universal education in Njombe. Findings indicatethat children dropout of schools ranked high in the area. The reasons for dropout out included the limited awareness of parental love and support interventions, domestic problems, limited psychosocial support, poor infrastructures, shortage of learning facilities and child labour. It recommends new research regarding efforts of Government to end street children around Njombe Township Council. It further recommends to the government to solve the problem for the children to stay in schools and continue with studies.