ABSTRACT
Since independence, Tanzania has acknowledged the necessity of educating its citizens as a way of overcoming ignorance and combating poverty. This chapter explores the perspectives of educational leaders in five Tanzanian regions on how economically disadvantaged families value schooling and perceives its relevance. The term 'educational leaders' covers three levels: regional and district level educational leaders and school-level heads. In Tanzania, the formal education system comprises two years of pre-primary education, seven years of primary education, four years of junior secondary, two year of senior secondary. The findings according to the educational officers, educational leaders and teachers studied show that economically disadvantaged families were more likely to invest in other income-earning activities rather than education. The educational officers and educational leaders reported that parents from economically disadvantaged families were not ready to bear the opportunity, direct, and indirect costs of education. Indeed, policies highlight the need to provide quality education as a pre-requisite for society's economic and political development.
