Exploring parents’ perception of out-of-school children with physical disabilities in public primary schools: A case of Geita District, Tanzania

2026 IJRSE – Volume 15 Issue 8

Available Online:  24 March 2026

Author/s:

Daudi, Masatu*
The Open University of Tanzania, Tanzania (Masatudaudi471@gmail.com)

Mrema, John Karoli
The Open University of Tanzania, Tanzania (karol.mrema@out.ac.tz)

Makiya, Rosemary
The Open University of Tanzania, Tanzania (rosemary.makiya@out.ac.tz)

Abstract:

In the 21st century, access to education has been widely recognized as a fundamental human right for children with physical disabilities due to the various international conventions that campaigned for education matters for these children. This study explores the parent’s perception of the out-of-school children with physical disabilities in Geita District, Tanzania. This study employed a qualitative research approach, using a case study design for collecting in-depth information. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews from 47 participants and analyzed thematically. Purposive sampling was used to sample the participants, including education officials, local government leaders, head teachers, and parents of children with physical disabilities. The findings revealed that parents hold both positive and negative perceptions. The negative parental perceptions included viewing children with disabilities as academically incapable, feeling ashamed of having a child with a disability, perceiving them as overly dependent, and perceived these children as they frequently ill and problematic. Moreover, some government officials hold positive perceptions, belied that children with physical disabilities could succeed in education if adequately supported. The study concludes that inclusive education policies have not fully reached the community level and recommends community awareness, parental engagement, teacher training, assistive resources, and strengthened policy implementation to bridge the gap between policy and practice within the community.

Keywords: parental perceptions, out-of-school children, physical disabilities, inclusive education, access to education

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrse.2026.26084

Cite this article:
Daudi, M., Mrema, J. K., & Makiya, R. (2026). Exploring parents’ perception of out-of-school children with physical disabilities in public primary schools: A case of Geita District, Tanzania. International Journal of Research Studies in Education, 15(8), 23-37. https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrse.2026.26084

* Corresponding Author