Exploring the Practice of "Extra" lessons in offered in Chinhoyi Urban Secondary Schools,Mashonaland West Province,Zimbabwe (original) (raw)

The purpose of the study was to establish the practice of extra lessons in Chinhoyi urban secondary schools in Zimbabwe. A case study was adopted to facilitate an in-depth understanding of the practice of extra lessons in schools. Purposive sampling was used to select the two schools for the study and the participants. A total of 160 participants were used to solicit information for the study. Questionnaires, interview schedules and observation checklists were enlisted for gathering data for the study. The study established that extra lessons targeted those students who could pay for the service rendered; were being carried out during normal school hours, lunch hour, after school hours and weekends; the activities were not being supervised; popular with pupils preparing for public examinations; promoted elitism and unequal access to education; provided lucrative employment for teachers; were a result of shoddy teaching during normal hours and that pupils would benefit more if extra lessons are supervised and coordinated. The study recommends that extra lessons be done outside normal school hours, with parents having the honours to identify the tutors, discuss areas of the learner's concerns with them and monitor progress made during the lessons. The study also recommends that extra lessons should be supervised and coordinated if students are to effectively benefit .School Development Committees should discuss with parents and come up with modalities to incentivise teachers so that all students benefit and that policy makers need to take a decisive position on the status of extra lessons in schools.