DON BOSCO COLLEGE OF PHILOSOPHY AND EDUCATION
(An Affiliate College of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Nairobi)
MUSABILA FAITH
EFFECTS OF ILLEGAL MINING ACTIVITIES ON STUDENTS’
LEARNING PROCESS IN SCHOOLS OF CHIBULUMA TOWNSHIPZAMBIA
Supervisor
Luchembe Prince
A research paper Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts
Degree in Philosophy and Education
DECEMBER, 2014
MOSHI-TANZANIA
2
DECRALATION
I hereby declare that this research paper I am presenting is my own authentic work and has never
been presented to any college or university for credit or any academic reward. Though I claim
that this work is my own, I humbly acknowledge the sources, which gave me insights for this
work.
NAME: MUSABILA FAITH
SIGNATURE: ___________________________________
DATE: _________________________________________
This research paper has been submitted for an examination with the approval of my supervisor in
Don Bosco College.
NAME: LUCHEMBE PRINCE
SIGNATURE: ___________________________________
DATE: _________________________________________
It has been accepted and approved by the College Dean of Don Bosco College of Philosophy and
Education.
NAME
: FR. PAUL NYAGA (SDB)
SIGNATURE: __________________________________
DATE: ________________________________________
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DEDICATION
This humble work is gratefully dedicated to Agnes and Astridah Mlaponi (my Mothers), Late
Daniel Musabila (my Father), my Brothers, Carthbet, Danny, Abraham and Victor, to my sisters
Kate, Besa and Mwamba Bwalya, my friend Yolantah Muzeya and my uncle Mr. Daniel
Mulubwa for bringing me up into the person I am today, and all friends and family for the
support they continue to render to me in my life.
ii
ABSTRACT
This study assessed the effect of illegal mining on student’s learning process of schools
high in Chibuluma Township of Zambia. The researcher used a mixed method research design
which embraced both research designs; a case study design of a Qualitative paradigm and a cross
sectional survey design of a Quantitative paradigm. The objectives of this study were, to find out
the causes of illegal mining in Chibuluma township, to find out the extent to which socioeconomic activities in the community can be of influence to the students’ learning process, to
find out the relation between the environment and students’ learning process and to identify the
effects of illegal mining activities on the students’ learning Process. The instruments used to
elicit information from respondents were questionnaires and interviews. Purposive sampling,
judgmental sampling, stratified sampling, multi-stage sampling and snowballing sampling
techniques where employed in the research. Fifty four students, six senior teachers, three head
teachers, ten illegal miners and twelve community representatives making eighty five
respondents were used for the study. Findings from the study show that illegal mining affects the
total development of the students. It affects the school attendance rates. Results also shows that
illegal mining is caused by poverty, inadequate educational and recreational facilities, broken
homes, pressure from parents and peers, need for identity and recognition in social classes,
leading to a “fast money culture”. The study recommended, the need for public education of the
people of Chibuluma on the negative effects of this practice ,need for a change in perception
about illegal mining, need for stakeholders of the community to channel more effort towards
tackling illegal mining in Chibuluma by strengthening laws against illegal mining, provision of
licenses to this miners at affordable prices, provision of adequate school infrastructures and
social facilities to motivate students, strengthening of already existing structures and providing
subsidies to the local folk of the community in order to boost their livelihood.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Praise, Glory and honor to God for giving me the opportunity to learn and for all the
countless blessings he has bestowed upon my life. I am grateful to Rev. Fr. Vincent Mokaya for
introducing me into the world of educational research work and encouraging me to endeavor on
this research title, Mugendi Patrick for partially supervising this work, Br. Luchembe Prince who
tirelessly supervised the work to the end and Fr. Michael, Kalinga Edward and all my classmates
who had spent their time in making all the grammatical corrections. I owe profound gratitude to
Fr. George provincial superior of ZMB province, my outgoing Academic Dean, Fr. Anthony
Fernando, the new Dean Father Paul Nyanga, and the former Rector Fr. Tembo Vincent and to
my new Rector Fr. Sellam Augustine for making it possible to undertake my studies at the
college and providing me with the necessary educational, financial and moral support.
More so, I could not feel at easy to forget to thank the warm love and support I received
from all my extended family who have been making it easy for me to conducting the research at
the three schools that I embarked on, especially my brother Abraham Makasa Mutale, Besa and
Mwamba Bwalya my sisters. God bless you for peeving way for me to do my research work.
I also broaden my appreciation to the Head Teachers of Chibuluma, Chibote and Kankonshi
Basic schools who had accepted me to carry out my research work at their schools. Thanks to all
who contributed to this research work and I say God Bless you.
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LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
DEBS:
District Educational Board Secretary
ECZ:
Environmental Council of Zambia
EE:
Environmental Education
GRZ:
Government Republic of Zambia
HIV:
Human Immune Virus
ILO:
International Labor Organization
KCM: Konkola Copper Mine
MoE:
Ministry of Education
NGOs: Non-Governmental Organization
PEDP:
Primary Education Development Plan
PTA:
Parents Teachers Association
SA:
Strongly Agree
SD:
Strongly Disagree
UN:
United Nations
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECRALATION ............................................................................................................................. i
DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................ ii
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................................. iv
LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ....................................................................... v
LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................................... x
LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... xi
CHAPTER I .................................................................................................................................... 1
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1
1.1.
Background of the Problem.............................................................................................. 1
1.1.1.
Zambia and the Education System ............................................................................ 2
1.1.2.
Chibuluma Township ................................................................................................ 4
1.2.
Statement of the Problem ................................................................................................. 4
1.3. Research Questions .............................................................................................................. 6
1.4. Significance of the Study ..................................................................................................... 6
1.5. Scope and Delimitations of the Study .................................................................................. 7
1.6. Theoretical Frame Work ...................................................................................................... 7
1.7. Conceptual Framework ........................................................................................................ 9
1.8. Operational Definition of Key Terms ................................................................................ 11
1.9. Organization of the Study .................................................................................................. 12
CHAPTER II................................................................................................................................. 13
LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................. 13
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2.1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 13
2.2. Related Studies on the relationship between School and Learning Environment.............. 13
CHAPTER III ............................................................................................................................... 19
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY ........................................................................ 19
3.1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 19
3.2. Research Design ................................................................................................................. 19
3.3. Target Population ............................................................................................................... 19
3.4. Sample and Sampling Procedures ...................................................................................... 20
3.5. Description of Research Instruments ................................................................................. 21
3.5.1. Questionnaires ............................................................................................................. 21
3.5.2. Interview guide ............................................................................................................ 21
3.5.3. Observation guide ........................................................................................................ 22
3.6. Data Collection Procedures ................................................................................................ 22
3.7. Data Analysis Procedures .................................................................................................. 23
3.8. Validity and Reliability ...................................................................................................... 23
3.9. Ethical Considerations........................................................................................................ 23
CHAPTER IV ............................................................................................................................... 25
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS .............................................................................. 25
4.1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 25
4.2. Background information of Respondents ........................................................................... 25
4.2.1. Total Number of Respondents based on Gender ......................................................... 25
4.2.2. Age of Respondents ..................................................................................................... 26
4.2.3. Age Brackets and Qualifications of the Heads of Schools .......................................... 26
4.2.4. Educational levels of working Youths and Community representatives ..................... 27
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4.2.5. Students enrolment and Completion in Schools of Chibuluma ................................... 28
4.2.6. Years of Domicile of respondents from the community representatives .................... 29
4.2.7. Occupational background of respondents.................................................................... 30
4.2.9. Students Concentration in the School .......................................................................... 31
4.3.
Factors Leading to Illegal Mining .................................................................................. 31
4.4. Extent to which socio-economic status affects students’ learning process ........................ 33
4.5. Relationship between Community Activities and Students’ Learning Process ................. 35
4.5.1. Views of Respondents on the Role of Community on Students’ Learning Process .... 35
4.5.2. Parents Encourage Illegal Mining ............................................................................... 36
4.5.3. Illegal Mining Activities as an Effective Source of Family Income ........................... 37
4.6. Impacts of Illegal Mining on Students’ Learning Process ................................................. 38
4.6.1. Negative Influence of Illegal Mining on the Students’ Learning Process ................... 38
4.6.2. Illegal Mining makes the Youths to forfeit their Education ........................................ 39
4.6.3. The Impact of illegal mining activities on the School Attendance Rates .................... 40
4.6.3. Most Common Implication of Illegal Mining on Students’ Learning Process............ 41
CHAPTER V ................................................................................................................................ 43
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................. 43
5.1. Summary ............................................................................................................................ 43
5.2. Conclusion.......................................................................................................................... 43
5.3. Recommendations .............................................................................................................. 47
5.4. Areas for Further Study ...................................................................................................... 48
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................. 49
APPENDICES .............................................................................................................................. 51
Appendix 1: Questionnaire for the Students ............................................................................. 51
viii
Appendix2: Questionnaire for the Senior Teachers ................................................................. 55
Appendix 3: Interview Guide for the Head teachers ................................................................. 60
Appendix 4: Interview Guide for Community Representatives ................................................ 62
Appendix 5: Interview Guide for the Youths Working In Illegal Mines .................................. 64
Appendix 6: Map Showing Chibuluma and the Mining Site .................................................... 65
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Number of Respondents Based on Gender: ………………………………………………....26
Table 2: Age of Respondents: ………………………………………………………………….….…..…27
Table 3: Educational Levels of Working Youths and Community Representatives: ……...…..…28
Table 4: Form two Students Enrolment and Completion in the Years 2010 – 2013: …………...29
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Diagrammatic Presentation of the Conceptual Framework: …………………………....10
Figure 2: Occupational Background of respondents: ……………………………………………......20
Figure 3: Causes of Illegal Mining that Contribute to Learning Process of Students: ………….32
Figure 4: Extent to which Socio-Economic Status Affects Learning Process: …………….……..34
Figure 5: Role of Community on Students’ Learning Process: ……………………….. ……..…….36
Figure 6: Whether Parents Encourages Illegal Mining: …………………………………….….…...37
Figure 7: Whether Illegal Mining is an Effective Source of Family Income: ……………………..38
Figure 8: Negative Impact of Illegal Mining on Development of Youths: ……………….………..39
Figure 9: Whether Youths Forfeit their Education due to Mining: ………………………….……..40
Figure 10: The Impact of Illegal Mining Activities on the School Attendance Rates: …….… ....41
Figure 11: Most Common Implications of Illegal Mining on Learning Process: ………………...43
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
This chapter broadens our horizons about Chibuluma Township and the problem
investigated. In this perspective it presents information about the place, people, and activities and
to some extent the historical facts. This knowledge leads to a better understanding of Chibuluma,
its social and economic status. Additionally, it edifies our knowledge on the relationships
between schools and mining environment and eventually, its position towards sound learning
process.
1.1. Background of the Problem
Improvement of student achievement has always been one of the main goals of education.
In the past decades researchers and educators have conducted many studies and experiments to
determine the factors that affect (Positively or negatively) students’ achievement. Many factors
that affect students learning process have been identified and the relationships seen between
them are very complex and dynamic. Some researchers believe that students’ characteristics,
their living and learning environments and institutional activities contribute to their achievement.
Human beings are born into a physical environment the environment which is quite
complex in the sense that it consists of things and their qualities. This environment acts as a tool
to many aspects that compose man. As such the researcher concurs the Ancient Greek
Philosopher Aristotle who says; “Man is a social animal.” Consequently, the school cannot
negate the presence of social, economic and physical environment surrounding it. The school is
by all means a part of the environment.
A school, being a part of an institution which has been established for a specific purpose,
have to bear in mind that there are a variety of community activities that in one way or another
offer some educational influence. For instance a home, apart from rearing children also educates,
1
Church with spiritual welfare as its primary goal, it too, educates. Community administration
though its first task is to maintain order but in the process of maintaining order it educates. But
since the school’s sole purpose is to educate, these community agencies are expected to
collaborate positively towards the realization of this purpose. In this modern world, it is
astounding to know that certain community agencies counteract the school and its objectives.
Education has undergone a lot of transformations. Today education is equated with
certificates and much more colorful certificates. In so far as education is equated to certificates,
precisely quality certificates which would stand the test of time, students are constantly seeking
the best possible results in their life time. However, the students’ desire to yield good results is
affected in one way or another by the Environment in which the school is situated. It is
commonly agreed that the nature of the School Environment has a lot to contribute to the
learning process of the students either positively or negatively, directly or indirectly.
1.1.1. Zambia and the Education System
Zambia is a Landlocked Country in southern Africa with eight neighboring countries. The
country is divided into 10 provinces and among them is Copperbelt Province were Chibuluma
township is located. The capital city is Lusaka, located in the south-central part of the country.
The population is concentrated mainly around Lusaka in the south and the Copperbelt Province.
In Zambia, the education system consists of both government and private schools. Historically,
the private school system began largely as a result of Christian mission efforts during the late
19th and early 20th centuries. The education system in Zambia is initially 7:5:4.
The copper industry and the income it provides were important features of Zambian
society at independence (in 1964) and have remained so through the nationalization of the mines
in the 1970s, and the economic liberalization and structural adjustment programs of the 1980s
and 90s,(GRZ, 2006; Economic Report 2005). The industry not only provides jobs to large
2
segments of the population, but is a cornerstone of the social services network, especially in the
Copperbelt Province. It provides housing, education and health care to thousands of workers and
their families: if workers lost their jobs, they also lost these associated benefits.
When the mines were re-privatized under the economic reform programs in the 1980s
and 1990s, the urgent need to make operations profitable through greater productivity and
efficiency led to cost-saving measures across the board. The subsequent large scale layoffs
increased unemployment in the mining communities. It was during these years that Zambia saw
the formation of many townships to cater for people who relied basically on jobs from mining
Firms. This was accompanied by the rise of illegal mining activities on the surrounding
townships that were formed. Amongst the places formed as a result of this, was Chibuluma
Township. (GRZ, 2006)
With nowhere else to go, unemployed miners in these newly formed suburbs have been
flooding to informal, “artisanal” mineral and gemstone mines in order to earn a living. Many
artisanal mines operate outside the regulatory framework, and poor working conditions and the
use of child labor are real issues. This impact is made complex by the poor quality and coverage
of basic social services, especially education, and the insufficient and overstretched social
protection mechanisms especially in these suburbs. Young people are the most exploited
members of the community both by their employees and by their parents as well in order to earn
the living, as a result, on the contrary when students seeing their friends having money, able to
buy all their needs and with the pressure from their parents they prefer joining these illegal
mines. On the same side of the coin, early marriages in these mining communities emerges. It is
common for both adolescent boys and girls to marry early to much older adults. Prostitution,
including that of very young girls, is very common, and clearly linked to the lack of alternative
income earning possibilities, and to the high levels of substance use and abuse by boys, and the
3
“fast money” culture by both genders. These factors have caused to a great extent the greater
impacts on the education for most of the teens. (Guarcello L, Lyon, S., & Rosati, F, 2005) Add to
this the high prevalence of HIV in mining communities , and the result is that more and more
children are vulnerable to becoming child workers in mining operations or its subsidiary
services, thus making school an option for many youths.
1.1.2. Chibuluma Township
Chibuluma Township lies in the outskirts of Kitwe, the second largest city in terms of
size and population in Zambia. With a population of 504,194 (2010 census provisional) Kitwe is
one of the most developed commercial and industrial areas in the nation, alongside Ndola and
Lusaka. It has a complex of mines on its north-western and western edges. Chibuluma Township
Lies 14km away from the Central Business area of Kitwe and about 8km from the mining areas.
The Township comprises of three government Schools and one Catholic School which lies on the
edge of the township. Chibuluma is a mixed cultural place. Many of her inhabitants are Miners
coming from different places across the country. The place is well known for its violent nature
propagated by a group of men called “Jerabo Unit” this is a group of young men who are
involved in illegal mining. The noticeable age of these young men is between 16years and
27years. They are associated with many criminal activities in the place. Besides this, the area is
surrounded by prominent mines in the Copperbelt such as KCM, Mopani and Chibuluma mines.
These mines pose a big challenge to the surrounding community despite offering services.
1.2. Statement of the Problem
Over the past decades, falling standards in education have been a matter of great concern
for all stakeholders in education. There are several opinions on the causes of the falling standards
of education, whilst some blame teachers for not putting in the required effort; others think
absenteeism on the part students is the problem. Other theories believes that both parents and
4
students do not pay particular attention to education and for that matter school performance is
not taken into effective consideration. Again it is believed that people are not given opportunity
to deal with financial constraints on the part of parent. Others are made to start paying their own
school fees at all tender age because they engage in illegal mining activities alongside schooling.
The root cause of illegal mining is the prevalent poverty of people in Chibuluma Township
which leads parents to begin encouraging their children to work in the mines. Consequently,
illiteracy rates therefore increase among children and education is no longer considered a priority
as much as financial survival. Serve the Children report (2012) on Chibuluma township indicates
that Nine out of ten people in the district live below the extreme poverty line and the Community
itself remains isolated and without proper infrastructure, education facilities or any industry other
than mining which can provide a living wage.
Unfortunately, for the people of Chibuluma Township, Illegal Mining is the most obvious
alternative work in the informal sector and perhaps attracts Children from surrounding places.
Furthermore, although these activities bring temporal benefits to economic development of these
people, it simultaneously impacts negatively on the immediate environment. This obviously,
relates to learning processes of children as well. Nevertheless, though land degradation is a
matter of concern for many educationists who have carried out a similar research, it is
particularly a serious concern and an educational gap that the study focused on evaluating the
impact of these illegal mining activities on the learning process of children involved and most
especially on the students.
5
1.3. Research Questions
1. What are the factors that push the youths to go for Illegal Mining at the expense of their
education?
2. To what extent does the socio-economic status of the community influence the students’
learning process?
3. Is there correlation between activities in the community and the students Learning
Process?
4. How can illegal mining affect the normal running of the school and students’ learning
process?
1.4. Significance of the Study
The study was aimed at enlightening teachers, parents and students, and the community
at large on the awareness that the realization of the quality education and high academic
performance of the students does not entirely rest on the school management. Rather it depends
on the joint system of collaboration. That is to say sound link between the surrounding
environment and school yields sound academic performance.
The research serves as supportive information for the Zambian MoE in considering how
the students may be helped. In particular the research may help the Curriculum Developers to see
what community and school activities may be included in the school curriculum in order to make
the student more concerned and oriented to the school programs, e.g. by providing time for social
activities that would keep students occupied all the time. It also awaken in the stakeholders,
community enterprises and NGOs present in the community to have a sense of belonging to the
proper management of the schools and also to see what infrastructures may be put up in order to
lessen the straying of the students to doing awkward Jobs like illegal mining. Finally this study
serves as a source of knowledge for many scholars in the fields of education.
6
1.5. Scope and Delimitations of the Study
Initially, the researcher chose to carry out the research on the effects of environment on the
learning process of students. This however, seemed to be a wider Topic and in addressing this,
the researcher intended to narrow down the research to a specific case. In this manner the
researcher carried out the research on the “Effects of illegal Mining activities on the students’
learning process” confining himself to Chibuluma Basic School, Kankonshi Secondary School
and Chibote Basic School, the three schools that are found in the area. The data was collected
from Head teachers, Senior Teachers, Students, Community Representatives and the Youths
involved in illegal mining activities in order to have a wider view and a clearer picture of what is
happening in that society. In this regard the researcher stimulates mutual collaboration between
the school and the community.
1.6. Theoretical Frame Work
Education is not merely a single structure, rather it comprises of various parties. It mainly
comprises of students who are the protagonists, parents, teachers and the administration who
normally seem to be at the background and directly facilitates the integral growth of the students.
It includes the social economic state of the Community which seems to influence the students’
motivation and not leaving out the internal and external environment of the School. This research
anchors on Karl Marx’s (1818-1883) dialectical Materialism, where he asserts that the economic
systems determine the social structure of any society (Calhoun 2002). Henceforth, the socioeconomic classes that are in the environment directly determine the students’ willingness to
learn. The illegal mining activities since form part of the socio-economic structure have a greater
impact on the learner.
While most modern educational thinkers have often emphasized on the need of active
environmental education on Students, this research conquered such assertions. As in the social
7
learning theory provoked by Bandura (1997), the researcher mentioned that “young people
acquire models from the immediate social environment whose attitudes and behaviors they try to
coincide with.” He as well believed that the cognitive and the environment both play a major role
in explaining the imitation of desirable and most appealing behaviors. Psychologists as well as
educationists have all agreed that the environment has a greater role to play in the cognitive
process of a child or student. Such kinds of environments where many activities take place,
makes the students emotionally affected and their concentration and participation at school
become very passive or even dropping out of schools, ascertained Wenger (1991). It is in this
manner that the researcher considered dialectical materialism as the theory for his study.
8
1.7. Conceptual Framework
The study used two main variables, namely, the students’ learning process as the
dependent variable and the illegal mining activities as the independent variable. To deny the
influence of illegal mining on the learning process is to deny the influence that the environment
has on education and on student’s learning process since education is not merely a single
structure but a composition of many entities that fosters cognitive development. If the activities
that take place around the environment have an effect of education, it is then an undeniable fact
that illegal mining activities affect the students’ learning process. The conceptual framework
shows the impact of illegal mining on the students’ learning process. This is based on the review
of the available literature. Illegal mining can either have positive or negative effects on the
learning process. The impacts of illegal mining activities on the environment are very
remarkable. First of all, Illegal mining activities take place mostly among young people of tender
age, these youths are supposed to be at school and yet for one reason or the other they find
themselves doing this work, thus it attracts child labor coming especially from the “fast money
culture” that has come into the minds of many youths, this labor in turn force them to begin to
abuse drugs in order to carry out the hard work more successfully. These young men who have
already joined into the system, attracts their peers in school for a prestigious life that they
expose. Moreover girls become attracted to such “prestigiously” depicted life and thus engage
themselves into relations with these boys often leading to early marriages. In turn this makes a
good number of dropouts in the schools around. To some however, illegal mining is caused by
the socio-economic status of their families and the community. The diagrammatical presentation
below shows this correlation among the variables and it is the researchers own formulation.
9
Causes
Socio-economic
factors
Fast Money Culture
ILLEGAL MINING
ACTIVITIES
A
Leads To
Early Marriages
Child Labour
School Dropouts
Drug Abuse
AFFECTS
Figure 1.1. Diagrammatic Presentation of the Conceptual Framework
10
Affects
Affects
STUDENT’S LEARNING
PROCESS
Affects
1.8. Operational Definition of Key Terms
Education: Process that offers the learning of facts, acquisition of skills and assimilation of
ideals which causes a person to establish principles that would guide his/her life.
Environment: It is the external and internal geographical location around the school
Illegal Mining: this refers to un-authorized, untrained way of stone craving in prohibited sites.
Jerabo unit: Refers to a group of illegal miners working in the Copperbelt province of Zambia
Learning Process: Gathering of methods that allow students to understand what is going on in a
learning scenario, i.e. what they work on, how they interact, what they produced, what tools they
use, in which physical and virtual location, etc.
Learning: A relatively permanent activity of obtaining knowledge change brought about by
experience and practice.
School: Body of learning possessing within itself a board of management that has a special
emphasis on the learning process of the students.
Socio-economic factors: Refers to different levels of social status and prestige. It involves
economic gradations among people living in the same society.
Students: These are youth’s doing ordinary level of education that ranges from grades eight and
nine in Zambia.
11
1.9. Organization of the Study
The study was organized systematically in five chapters. The first chapter was an outline
to the foundational background of the problem basing on the location, area, people and their
activities. It also includes the statement of the problem, the research questions, and objectives of
the study, the significance of the study, scopes and delimitation, operational definition of terms,
operational framework and the definition of Key terms used in the study.
The second chapter exposes the researcher’s reviewed literature related to the study and
some of the knowledge gaps identified. The third chapter the researcher focused on the research
design and methodology. This encompassed the descriptions of sampling procedures, research
instruments, data collection procedures and data analysis procedures. The fourth Chapter is the
presentation of researchers findings of Data gathered and critically analyzed. Finally the fifth
chapter gives a summary/conclusion, the researcher’s recommendations and the suggested areas
of further studying.
12
CHAPTER II
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Introduction
This chapter was very important due to the fact that it dealt with the review of the related
literature to this study. In this chapter the researcher presented literature from people who have
shared similar views as regard to the partnership between the school and environment where the
school is inserted. The researcher tried to identify out the educational gaps that were left by the
precious researchers and this did not duplicate the work done before.
2.2. Related Studies on the relationship between School and Learning Environment
There have been a number of studies that have endeavored to address almost similar
problems as this. However, these studies have not explicated the prevalent problem in this
particular place. Some of these studies were dwelling on school curriculum and culture, as such
the gap lies on the fact that they did not consider the effects it has on students’ learning process.
The researcher also found out from related studies that certain community agents had not been
given serious attention.
An educational philosopher Joseph K. Hart (1927) made an intensive study of the
environment as an agency of education. He showed in specific terms what it is about the
environment that educates, for instance what associations, activities and experiences are
provided by the normal processes of community life. Hart assumed that the school day lasts 7
hours and that the school year is ten months long. A child will spend 1400hours in school in a
single year. (This has probably never been true of a single child). Though some may argue that
an hour spent in school is more effective than an hour spent out of school, this may be true. But
generally speaking it can be argued that an hour out of school experience is quite influential in
determining the ultimate outcome of the students’ academic performance. Hart pointed out the
13
following agencies that affect education; Firstly he mentioned the neighborhood whether real,
fragmentary or merely a series of memories. Additionally neighborhood centers of interests,
neighborhood play and social groups demand from people more or less active responses.
Secondly are religious institutions and activities. Thirdly are playgrounds, whatever its character,
with its play and its games both informal and organized has an impact. It educates either
passively or actively. Civil conditions of all kinds fall under the fourth aspect. The police men
and women, political parties, political and civil conversations and rumors, all these have a role to
play as far as education is concerned. The fifth is the street of any sort. Attached to the street are
all sorts of activities. The endless panorama of the crowd has unavoidable effects upon students.
However, Hart did not mention an aspect of Work and the Economic factors. This is very
absorbing so much so that its influences can be easily detected through the child’s performance.
In this regard the researcher covered this Gap left by Hart in his research due to the variation in
time.
Rudd P., Reed F., & Smith, P (2008) presented a dissertation on the effects of
environment on students’ attitude towards education and learning. In their study a longitudinal
survey design was employed and their core aim was to find out how infrastructural development
affects students’ attitude to education. Generally the findings from the before and after surveys
were very positive, they showed that there is a good deal of evidence to indicate that student
attitudes had become more positive after the move into the new school buildings he also pointed
out the main cause of negative attitude towards school was economic state of the community.
Nevertheless, with the difference in time, the singularity of a case under study, and the
difference in research type, the current research was detailed by moving out of the internal
school environment and gave focus on the external school environment. In doing so, the
researcher not only found the external forces to education but also found out from the victims on
14
their attitudes towards education or the reasons for such choices in their lives. Unlike Rudd et al.
who used longitudinal survey, the current research instead used a mixed method.
Brooks (2010) carried out a research to investigate on the impacts of formal learning
environments on student learning. The main objective of this research was to identify the
relationship between formal learning spaces and student learning outcomes. Using a quasiexperimental design, researchers partnered with an instructor who taught identical sections of the
same course in two radically different formal learning environments to isolate the impact of the
physical environment on student learning. The results of the study reveal that, holding all factors
Excepting the learning spaces constant, students taking the course in a technologically enhanced
environment conducive to active learning techniques outperformed their peers who were taking
the same course in a more traditional classroom setting. The evidence suggests strongly that
technologically enhanced learning environments, independent of all other factors, have a
significant and positive impact on student learning.
However, the findings presented here advance considerably the field of learning spaces
research. However, many questions remain unanswered regarding the relationship between
formal learning spaces and teaching and learning: (1) what characteristics of formal physical
spaces contribute to the accelerated pace of learning process of a student? (2) How do the formal
learning spaces affect students’ perceptions of their learning experiences?; (3) Do students
respond differently to the contributions of formal learning environments based on demographic
characteristics, course level, or subject matter?; (4) How does the space constrain or facilitate
faculty teaching practices and behaviors?; and (5) How does variation in those practices and
behaviors caused by variation in formal spaces shape student engagement? In answering these
questions the current research covered the education gap left by the former researchers.
15
Lillian Chipatu (2011) Carried out a study on “Environmental Education to address
Negative Impacts of Copper Mining in Kankoyo township of Zambia’s Copperbelt region” The
study predominantly used qualitative methodology. However, for further clarity, it was
supplemented by quantitative methodology. Questionnaires with both closed and open ended
questions were administered to Kankoyo residents while interviews were conducted for
Environmental Education providers and Coordinators. Furthermore, onsite observations were
conducted by the researcher.
The Study’s findings confirmed reviewed literature assertions that there was
Environmental Education offered to Kankoyo residents which did not incorporate in its content
environmental issues related to negative impacts of copper mining. And the researcher revealed
the effects of mining on the following: Impacts of Mining on Air Quality, Impacts of Mining on
Land, Impacts of Mining on Water System, Biodiversity and Habitat Loss, Mining and Health
and on Mining and Local People.
The researcher traced the gap in her dissertation in that the former research did not
mention any effects whatsoever that the mine has on the education of the students in Kankoyo.
Moreover the previous study was sorely aimed at providing environmental awareness not in
finding in depth effects of this environment. In the current researcher the researcher tried to
cover the gap by providing the necessary information concerning the effects that mining
environments has on students’ learning process.
Ken (2006) Carried out a Survey on the Psychology of Learning Environment. The Matter
at hand is quite similar with the current research in that they all affirm the fact that the Learning
environment has an effect on the process of learning. However, in this survey, Ken points out
some of the notable effects of the environment on Learners but in a more psychological manner.
First, he noted that all learning takes place in a physical environment with quantifiable and
16
perceptible physical characteristics. Whether sitting in a large lecture hall, underneath a tree, or
in front of a computer screen, students are engulfed by environmental information. Specific
targets within the environment draw the students' attention, such as armchairs, scarves, and
teacups, and they continuously monitor the ambient properties such as the light of the lamps, the
smell of the kettle, and the warmth of the fire. Secondly, students do not touch, see, or hear
passively; they feel, look, and listen actively. Students cannot be present to all the environmental
information bombarding them at any given time; their ability to gather and understand incoming
information is limited. Students may direct their attention to particular targets in the learning
environment that they find more interesting, important, or unfamiliar than others. Thirdly, the
physical characteristics of learning environments can affect learners emotionally, with important
cognitive and behavioral consequences. Some learning environments are more comfortable and
offer fewer distractions than others. In any learning environment, physical characteristics that
cause discomfort can be expected to interfere with learning; environments that produce positive
emotional states can be expected to facilitate learning and the development of place attachment.
The research shows almost clearly how important the environment is in the process of Learning.
However, the current research was different with this research in the following areas; the
current research not only focuses on the social environmental factors but also encompassed the
economic factors of the selected social environment and analyzed a particular problem. In this
manner the research was more deepened since it was not very broad. Secondly the researcher
was aimed at propagating use of different physical attractions to help enhance learning
experiences but in the Current research, the researcher wants to see the impacts that a specific
factor in the environment can affect positively or negatively the learning process. Lastly it is the
fact that the previous researcher used Survey method of Study, instead the current researcher
17
carried out a mixed method research which in one way or the other embrace all the research
methods. This enhanced effectiveness of the findings.
Lumano (2011) carried out a case study research on the Social-Economic Challenges on the
Students’ performance in Moshi; the main aim of the research was to find out the effects of the
socio-economic challenges on students’ performance. Data collected showed that the economic
challenge has an impact on the education of the student in many ways, this pointed out certain
challenges in the infrastructures at the school and poor teaching staffs. The researcher used
quantitative research and it was a case study. Nevertheless the current research differed from
previous one in that: It clasped both case study and a survey, (cross sectional survey) since it was
conducted in the whole township; unlike the predecessor who used quantitative research, the
current research will be both qualitative and quantitative. The previous researcher did not explore
much on other external social-economic background of the students, the current research
however tried to explore much more beyond the internal school environment. It tried to be more
practical by getting in touch with those people who are affected (in this case the “Jerabo Unit”)
to find out what and why they could not continue with education.
A study conducted by the Kongo Community Development Association (KoCDA),
assessed the academic performance of children in the Talensi-Nabdam District. It revealed that
mining affected their education in many fronts (KoCDA Report, 2010). First, it was found
children devoted their time and energy on mining than concentrating on lessons taught in class.
Second, children poorly participated in class sessions because of tiredness leading to a number of
them sleeping in class. However with the difference in time and place the researcher wishes to
cover the educational gap thus investigating new phenomena.
18
CHAPTER III
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
3.1. Introduction
This chapter served as an outline on which the research anchored. It comprised of the
following sections: research design, population sample and sampling design, data collection
instruments with their descriptions, data analysis and the ethical issues considered in the study.
3.2. Research Design
Objectively, a research design can be defined as a structure that guides the whole process,
ascertained Lokong (2006). The researcher used a mixed method research design which
embraced both research designs; a case study design of a Qualitative paradigm and a cross
sectional survey design of a Quantitative paradigm. The former is an intensive observation of a
single project in a particular setting and the latter takes to include the essential components of a
population. In this case the study investigated the impact of illegal mining activities on the
students’ learning process in Chibuluma Township of Zambia. By doing so, the findings of this
research are reliable and an authentic or true reflection of the situational picture under discussion
might have been met. The researcher’s reasons for picking on this design are as follows: to
obtain accurate results that describes the Phenomena by asking natives to give their opinions,
attitudes and values to help the study explore the existing status of the two variables. And finally
the research analyzed the concreteness of the situation by examining the environmental factors
specifically the factors that illegal mining has on the students’ learning process.
3.3. Target Population
The fact that this research was a mixed method research on external influences to
students’ Learning process; the researcher not only paid attention to the students but rather
involved all stake holders in the case at hand. The target population consists of all three schools
19
in the area i.e. Chibuluma, and Chibote Basic and Kankonshi Secondary Schools, all head
teachers, senior teachers, illegal miners and some community members of Chibuluma in order to
foster an intensive collection of views pertaining to the effects of mining activities on the
students’ learning process in Chibuluma.
3.4. Sample and Sampling Procedures
The sample of the target population was eighty-five respondents. There were eighteen
students from each school, two senior teachers from each school and all head teachers were
purposively sampled. On behalf of the community, the researcher interviewed 12 respondents
(especially parents) and 10 illegal miners. This was done as such in order to facilitate smooth
collection of data within the available space and time.
The researcher used purposive sampling to select the schools. The head teachers were
automatically sampled purposively because schools are purposively selected. However, not all
teachers were sampled instead only the three senior teaching Staffs were selected using snowball
purposive sampling due to the fact that they are in a right position to respond to the questions.
In selecting the students, initially all students had equal chances of participating in the research.
Eighteen respondents were selected from each school, nine Boys and nine girls. The researcher
took into account that the sampled schools were all co-schools. As such stratified sampling was
employed to ensure that both male and female students were equally chosen. The students’
sample were taken from form two (grade nine) and form three students in basic schools and high
school respectively. The boys and girls were put into separate groups of gender then the
researcher used simple random sampling by writing the names on the paper, put in the box and
then picked the number of names required to participate. For the miners, convenient sampling
was used due to the fact that not all miners were ready to be interviewed only those who were
comfortable with the researcher. The researcher interviewed ten (10) miners. By visiting the
20
mining area, the research met with the miners who willingly accepted to be interviewed. All this
was done because it would not have been possible to interview everybody or to choose a
sampling method that might seem to be imposed on them.
3.5. Description of Research Instruments
The researcher collected data from students, teachers, head teachers, community
members and from the miners using the following instruments; questionnaires, interview guides
and observation guides.
3.5.1. Questionnaires
The researcher used questionnaires to find out the circumstances around the schools. The
questionnaires included the respondents’ backgrounds, history of the schools, number of students
in the schools, factors that affect learning, and the alternatives needed to foster sound learning
process. Adequate time was reserved to the respondents so that they may respond in their own
capacity. Indeed the questionnaire enhanced the smooth gathering of relevant data from teachers
and students. Throughout the whole research, the researcher used two types of questionnaires:
Questionnaire for the senior teachers having two parts. Its first part had the respondent’s
background; whereas part two contained the respondent’s feelings and opinions about schoolenvironment relationship. Questionnaire for the students contained the respondent’s personal
data, second part had the respondent’s feelings and attitudes about the school-environment
relationship and the third part contained the respondent’s opinions/views.
3.5.2. Interview guide
Interview guide was used to gather information from the head teachers, Community
representatives (PTA) and the miners (illegal miners). This enabled the researcher to concentrate
on the appropriate questions with the aim of collecting relevant data for the study. These
interview guides were in-depth (semi-structured) to allow enough room for clarification and
21
elaborations, all with the intention of allowing a spontaneous interview directed at gathering
necessary information. The researcher administered the interview by having a schedule with
printed questions from which further probing questions arose depending on the need. The record
of answers from both respondents and the interviews were kept for easy reading.
3.5.3. Observation guide
The researcher visited the schools in person, and took this privilege to observe the
schools’ surrounding community, taking a keen task on observing the community agencies like
market, pubs or other recreation facilities and other relevant facilities. The research observed
such facilities since they are a composition of the basic social-economic state of any particular
environment and it is in such where youths may be found. They are the social facilities and
economic activities around the area. He also visited the mines and observed what was happening
around the place.
3.6. Data Collection Procedures
Questionnaires were administered directly to the respondents by the researcher when he
went to the field. The collection was done personally to ensure effectiveness. Interviews were
conducted face to face and in – depth and the notes were taken down by the researcher. This was
done to seek more clarity and avoid any form of inflexibility. In regards to the observation, the
researcher was keen enough to observe if there were any form of explicit or implicit interaction
between the mining environment and the school. Additionally, the study examined if there are
structures and facilities like pubs, markets, churches and hospitals around the school. All the
information that was observed was jotted down in a note book.
22
3.7. Data Analysis Procedures
The researcher analyzed the information that was collected from all the instruments that
were used. The analysis was done by physically going through the responses of all the
respondents. Thereafter, the data was presented in tables, pie charts, graphs and in words.
3.8. Validity and Reliability
In an effort to ensure that the instruments measured what they were supposed to measure,
the researcher submitted the research instruments to various experts in research and the
supervisor to identify questions that are vague with unclear direction with insufficient space to
write the responses. In order to check the extent to which the research instruments could give the
same results as before, the researcher used the test retest technique to re-administer the question
at different intervals. The researcher also ensured that the research findings were reliable by
making sure that the research was administered to an extensive array of community
representatives thus the researchers respondents were the community representatives, the
teachers, the illegal miners and the students.
3.9. Ethical Considerations
Having laid down the limitations that the research faced during this research in winning the
confidence of the people, the researcher promised never to disclose the information given by the
respondents. The researcher first met the students and explained to them the reason for his study,
and later invited those who were willing to help him gather the needed information. Though most
of the students turned up the researcher could not take everyone. Moreover, before meeting the
community representatives, the researcher always had to explain to them the aims and objectives
of the research prior to asking those questions. Though it was quite difficulty to gain the
confidence of the illegal miners, the researcher had to meet the leader of the “Jerabo unit” who
gave him permission and time to do the research. The researcher spent some good time
23
explaining to the miners the reason for the research and later asked them to voluntarily engage
into the conversation whenever they felt comfortable. In addition to this the respondents were
forbidden to write names and even for those interviewed the researcher did his best to ensure that
due privacy was given during the activity. Moreover, the researcher made sure that all the
theoretical resources used in the research were dully acknowledged, and avoided manipulation
and extortion of information by allowing respondents to answer questions that they were
comfortable with and free to leave the rest.
24
CHAPTER IV
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
4.1. Introduction
This chapter provides information on the effects of illegal mining activities to the
students’ learning process in Chibuluma Township of Kalulushi District in the Copperbelt
province of Zambia. With regard to this research, description of the opinions of respondents from
both students, parents and illegal miners, gave such specific trends and phenomena, which were
used as a representation of the whole township of Chibuluma.
4.2. Background information of Respondents
4.2.1. Total Number of Respondents based on Gender
Table 4.1.
Number of Respondents based on Gender
Respondents
Males
Females
TOTAL
School Head Teachers
2
1
3
Senior Teachers
5
1
6
Students
27
27
54
Illegal Miners
10
0
10
Community Representatives
10
2
12
Total
54
31
85
Percentage
64%
36%
100%
The information collected showed that there were 31 females representing 36% and 54
males representing 64% of the respondents. The gender of respondents was important in coming
25
up with appropriate knowledge on the impacts that illegal mining has in the area. It was alsovital
in getting diverse views on impacts that illegal mining has on the students learning process
bearing in mind that the schools that were targeted were co-educational.
4.2.2. Age of Respondents
The respondents’ age varied across the different age groups that where targeted, the
variations in the age of the respondents is very wide since the researcher had corrected the data
across the community of Chibuluma for the fact that the problem at hand was also targeting the
environment. Below therefore is the table representing the ages of the respondents in the
research.
Table: 4.2.
Age of Respondents
Age
15 – 20 yrs.
21 – 25yrs.
Students
37
17
26 – 30yrs
Teachers
Community Reps.
31 – 35yrs
36+
3
6
2
10
Miners
2
8
Total
39
25
0
5
16
Percentage
46%
29%
0
6%
19%
4.2.3. Age Brackets and Qualifications of the Heads of Schools
The age bracket of all the heads of School where above 45 years of age. The head teacher
from Chibuluma Basic School held a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts, and had been in the school for
seven years. The qualifications and the experiences she has, has helped her to do her duties more
responsibly. The head teacher from Kankonshi Secondary school was above 45 years of age and
26
holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and had been on that position for 5years. Finally, the
head teacher of Chibote Basic School holds a Diploma in Education, has however 24years
teaching experience with his last ten years as head of school and has the age bracket of around
50years and above. All the head teachers, however are not residents of Chibuluma Township
rather come from Kalulushi District. This however conclusively made the researcher to think that
they are not very conversant with the situations and extra-curricular activities that their students
are involved in during the times they are at home.
4.2.4. Educational levels of working Youths and Community representatives
Table: 4.3.
Educational levels of working youths and Community representatives
Respondents/
Educational Status
Illegal Miners
Community
Representatives
Attending School
2
-
Never went to School
4
6
Dropped out of School
4
3
Tertiary Education
-
6
10
15
Total
According to Table 3 above, out of the 10 working youths who were interviewed 20%
were still attending school while 40% had never attended school, and a significant 40% of youths
whom the interview was conducted on, had dropped out of school. What the above finding
signifies is that, youths who drop out of school for one reason or another end up in child labour.
When asked why they had dropped out of school, children advanced a number of reasons.
Typical responses included the following:
27
“I stopped going to school because life became too difficult when my father died and I started
staying with my grandmother.”; “I started working after dropping out of school to contribute
towards the family income so that we can afford to buy food.”; “I stopped school because there
was no one to support me. I needed someone to assist me with uniforms, shoes and books. I am
working to raise money so that I can go back to school.”; “I could not continue going to school
because there was no food at home. We were hungry all the time and there is no way one can go
to school when hungry.”
4.2.5. Students enrolment and Completion in Schools of Chibuluma
Table: 4.4.
Form two Students enrolment and Completion in the years 2010 – 2013
ENROLLED
COMPLETED
DROP OUT
%
Dropout
School
Boys
Girls
Boys
Girls
Boys
Chibuluma Basic
101
174
63
113
38
61
36%
Kankonshi High
121
155
79
82
42
73
42%
Chibote Basic
96
170
53
96
43
74
44%
318
499
195
291
123
208
41%
Total
Girls
Records from the schools showed that the rate of school dropout in the township is on the
high side. For instance at Chibuluma (one of the oldest school in the district), out of a total of
275 form two Students enrolled from 2010 - 2013, only 176 were able to complete. The total
percentage of school dropout was 36%. In terms of Kankonshi Secondary School which is also
one of the schools in the township, the percentage dropout was 42% out of the 276 students
enrolled within the same range of time. At Chibote Basic School, 44% of 266 students enrolled
28
dropped out of school. The results clearly showed that most of the drop outs were male students
as compared to the female students.
Conclusively, after observing the registers of the form two classes and from interviews
with the heads of schools, the researcher was prompted to think that most of the male students
had been engaged in other activities apart from school activities. This was made so evident
looking at the tendency of most male students absenting school.
4.2.6. Years of Domicile of respondents from the community representatives
Respondents from the Community were asked about the number of years that they have
stayed in the Chibuluma Township. This question was particularly useful and worth asking as it
helped to determine the level of familiarity and knowledge of environmental and social issues in
the community before and after the start of mining operations and thereby being able to give a
comparative account of the situation in an objective manner. Interestingly, most of the
respondents indicated they were indigenes of the community implying that they were “born and
bred” in the community and have grown as residents of the community. Some even indicated that
since their birth they have never travelled out of the community before since all their relatives
are indigenes of Chibuluma and as a result were very much knowledgeable when it comes to the
matters relating to the community in various ways. In fact, only two (2) people interviewed were
migrant settlers but have stayed in the community for seven (7) years and more. Such people the
researcher realized were also vested in the community affairs and were also good source of
information for the study.
29
4.2.7. Occupational background of respondents
70%
63%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
13%
12%
8%
10%
4%
0%
Teachers
Students
Farmers
Vendors
illegal Miners
Figure 4.1: Occupational background of respondents
According to data findings, 75% of the respondents from the community representatives
representing 8% of total respondents in the research indicated they were full time small scale
farmers with rented lands being their only source of livelihood or occupation and the remaining
25% of these respondents representing 4% of total respondents are engaged in petty business
around the nearby Kitwe City. It is also worth noting to state that the relatively younger
respondent’s males especially who were interviewed and whom the researcher classify as the
youth, were all engaged illegal mining, they summed up to 12% of the total respondents. This
confirms the observation made by the researcher prior to the research and Government of
Zambia (GRZ) sources that the main occupation for the people of Chibuluma is predominantly
illegal mining with about 60% and of those engaged in other occupation outside illegal mining
taking up 40% (GRZ, 2010). One major determinant of the social status and economic power of
people is their occupation. In order to understand the economic livelihood of the people vis-à-vis
their poverty levels and a high expectation of job creation and opportunities with regard the
30
education status of Chibuluma township and the onset of mining by Chibuluma Mines, the
occupational background of the respondents were sought. From the responses given, one could
clearly tell that one of the major influences of the learning process of students is their economic
status as well as the socio status of the environment in which they have grown.
4.2.9. Students Concentration in the School
According to most of the student’s respondents, most students revealed that they had not
been able to participate fully and actively in class due to the noise from the bars surrounding the
school especially Chibuluma Basic School. Findings from the Head teacher of Chibuluma
showed that although the school has raised concerns for the poor environment that is affecting
the students, no action has been done by the local authorities despite making empty promises.
Moreover, the senior teachers as well outlined that student’s lack concentration in class and at
times they do not even care whether they have attended school or not. A suspension for example
does not concern much the student since most of their mates invite them on weekend’s even
school days to the mines.
4.3. Factors Leading to Illegal Mining
In choosing between engaging in illegal mining and education illegal miners prefer to
engage in this type of activity to going to school. Though they gave different reasons for their
choice of illegal mining over going to school, majority of them focus their reason on the fact that
education is a long way of getting rich in the society since it takes them more than 18 years
starting from Nursery to University before they can get good wage employment in Zambia. With
this, they believe illegal mining offers them the quick money they need which would make their
lives better in future. Moreover, data obtained from the respondents, showed that a good number
of students out of the students’ respondents agreed that illegal mining is a very good thing
though it is somehow dangerous. This showed that the students are greatly affected by the
31
surrounding environment in which they learn. Education as such becomes difficult for them to
concentrate in the class. In addition to this some students have been asserting that their peers are
becoming bread winners in their family and they do not lack anything to sustain their lives. A
good number of the students’ representatives agreed that illegal mining has an influence in their
learning processes and education as a whole, since they receive support from their brothers
working there.
43%
31%
12%
5%
7%
2%
Figure 4.2: Factors Leading to Illegal Mining that Affects the Learning Process of Students
Data collected shows that poverty, a view held by 43% of total valid responses, was the
leading cause of illegal mining in Chibuluma. Additionally, 31% of respondents stated that
children engaged in illegal mining because of pressure from their parents and peers. However,
12% of them were of the view that illegal mining was seen as an opportunity to further their
education and hence represented an attractive destination for young boys to acquire the necessary
resources needed to further their education; with a further 7% of them having indicated that
youths went for illegal mining because of a lack of alternative recreational space and access to
32
educational facilities made youths seek employment in illegal mines. In addition, 5% of them
stated that many youths join illegal mining due to the need to belong to social groups that seem
to be living a luxurious life. The remaining 2% of total respondents indicated that youths
engaged in child labour due to broken homes and many other personal reasons. The findings of
this study therefore concur with the views of Hilson, (2010) who held that poverty is the most
important reason for children of school-going age to opt for work in preference to school. Rural
families diversify their revenues by taking up mining activity.
4.4. Extent to which socio-economic status affects students’ learning process
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
62%
25%
10%
0%
Strongly agree
Agree
Disagree
3%
Strongly
disagree
Figure 4.3: Extent to which Socio-Economic Status Affects Learning Process
From figure 4.3 above, 62% of respondents strongly agreed that the socio-economic status
of the community affects the learning process of students. Also, 25% of respondents agreed to
the fact of the same argument in Chibuluma Township. However 10% Disagreed being of the
view that it was it was not a true phenomenon. It is interesting to note that 3% of total
respondents strongly disagreed that social status of the community does not affects learning
33
process at all. This correlates with Hart (1999) who points out that neighbourhood whether real,
fragmentary or merely a series of memories, play and social groups affects education and Ken
(2006) in his survey on the Psychology of learning environment who points out that in any
learning environment, physical characteristics that cause discomfort can be expected to interfere
with learning process. Moreover, the researcher draws a parallel line with Irvin (2012) who held
that the socio-economic challenge has an impact on the education of the student in many ways,
pointing out certain challenges faced by students and teachers.
According to the above findings, socio-economic status of the community has an effect on
the learning process of students in Chibuluma Township this was sought to establish an extent to
which agents of the environment affects the students’ process of acquiring knowledge. It remains
a dent in the townships’ national reputation that Chibuluma is one of the well-known townships
with lots of criminal activities in the Copperbelt province. The prevalence of the phenomenon
impacts adversely students’ learning process. As such, the researcher found it necessary to assess
the views of respondents on how persistent the socio-economic status in the community is
affecting education. Moreover, most student respondents in the study indicated that they did not
engage much in any form of recreational activities. According to the researcher’s observations,
there are limited recreational facilities available in Chibuluma and these include three football
play grounds and plenty video shows, it has a vast number of Beer Halls and Night Clubs. In
these places there is a lot of recreational fun going on for the youths like pool tables, mini-soccer
and Video games but these facilities are mainly provided late in the evening and within these
public areas. Conclusively, the researcher noted after computing the findings that the extent to
which social economic factors affect learning process is very high. Figure 4.4 depicts the views
of respondents.
34
4.5. Relationship between Community Activities and Students’ Learning Process
As the study of learning environment remains in its infancy, considerable works remain at
demonstrating the impact of formal learning environment on student learning outcomes and
practices. The findings here contribute significantly to this discussion given that they consider
the relation that lie between the students and the physical environments. This overcomes the
limitations of previous research on the subject, which had obscured the effects of the relation of
learning environments.
4.5.1. Views of Respondents on the Role of Community on Students’ Learning Process
Community
does not
affect…
33%
Community
affects
learning
67%
Figure 4.4: Role of Community on Students’ Learning Process
Data from figure 4.4 shows that 67.0% of the respondents are for the view that the
community plays a role in the education of the children. Also, 33% of respondents held the view
that community never plays a role in the education of children. These findings therefore are in
line with Ken (2006) who asserts that Community activities of any kind have an influence,
negatively or positively on the Childs’ education.
35
4.5.2. Parents Encourage Illegal Mining
14%
frequently
38%
ocassionary
22%
seldom
26%
never
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Figure 4.5: Whether Parents Encourages Illegal Mining
Data from figure 6 shows that 38% of parents occasionally encouraged their children to
work in illegal mines. Also, 14% of respondents held the view that parents frequently encourage
their children to work in mines. However, 22% of total valid responses held that parents seldom
encouraged their children to find employment in illegal mines in Chibuluma; with a further 26%
of them being of the view that some parents never encouraged their children to work in mines.
As such the researcher is forced to believe in line with the report of the NGO, Serve the Children
(2012) that parents send their children for mining in order for them to help in improving the
financial status of their home. The researcher sought to find out to what extent parents as agents
of the environment encourage their sons to join illegal mining activities. By so doing the
researcher was trying to establish whether there is a relation between the environment and the
education of a child. This was provoked by most respondents who were being interviewed by the
36
researcher. We should also bear in mind the fact that illegal mining is the main source of income
as shown in the data presented in the previous section.
4.5.3. Illegal Mining Activities as an Effective Source of Family Income
44%
Strongly agree
19%
20%
Agree
Disagree
17%
Strongly
disagree
Figure 4.6: Whether Illegal Mining is an Effective Source of Family Income
From figure 4.6 44% of respondents strongly agreed and were of the view that illegal
mining served as an effective source of family income; with a further 19% of them having agreed
with the assertion. On the other hand, 20% of them disagreed with the assertion; with a further
17% of respondents having strongly disagreed with the assertions that illegal mining serves as an
effective source of family income. This correlates with views of Rudd et al (2008) on the effects
of environment on students’ attitude towards education and learning that poor families diversify
their revenues by taking up illegal business in the environment in which they live. According to
him some families and individual children work in quarries or mines to ward off starvation. In
such cases, children‟s labour contribution may be important for household income and food
security, especially if few alternative opportunities exist to earn an income as such education is at
risk.
37
4.6. Impacts of Illegal Mining on Students’ Learning Process
The researcher sought to indicate the impacts of illegal mining activities on the learning
process of students. As such information on the negative influence was sought from the
respondents. This was the researchers’ main question. Before illegal miming was at its peak, the
youth were regarding education as the only means for survival. As a result of that, both the
parents and their children directed their attention to acquiring quality education with the view of
securing better occupation.
4.6.1. Negative Influence of Illegal Mining on the Students’ Learning Process
42%
44%
13%
1%
Strongly agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly disagree
Figure 4.7: Negative Impacts of illegal Mining on Development of Youths
Data collected from the respondents showed that 44.0% of respondents strongly agreed
that child labour in illegal mining had a negative effect on their total development. Likewise,
42.0% of them agreed with the assertion. On the other hand, 13.0% of total respondents
disagreed and held the view that illegal mining did not have a negative effect on the total
development of children; with a further 1.0% of them having vehemently disagreed to the
38
assertion that illegal mining negatively affected the total development of children. The figure
below shows the negative impacts of illegal mining on educational development of a student.
4.6.2. Illegal Mining makes the Youths to forfeit their Education
1%
6%
47%
46%
Figure 4.8: Whether Youths forfeit their Education due to Mining
Data gathered indicates that 47.0% of total valid responses agreed with the assertion that
youths who engaged in illegal mining eventually forfeited their education; with 46.0% of them
having strongly agreed with the assertion. However, 6.0% of them disagreed with the assertion.
The remaining 1% of respondents strongly disagreed that working in illegal mines could result in
children forfeiting their schooling. The findings of this study therefore indicate that majority of
children who engaged in illegal mining eventually had to forfeit their schooling. This confirms
the view contained in an article by the International Labour Office (ILO), (2004), on the
Thematic evaluation on Elimination of Child labor in small-scale mining and quarrying sites
which assertsthat a lot of youth are getting into active illegal business at the expense of their
education. With regard the attitude of the youth from 1990s up to present where illegal mining
has become common among the youth in the township, it was revealed through the observations
39
and interviews by the researcher that the youth and for that matter school children’s’ attitude
towards school change when they get involved in illegal mining. As such the researcher sought
to establish the veracity of the assertion that children who engaged in illegal mining activities
forfeit their education.
4.6.3. The Impact of illegal mining activities on the School Attendance Rates
80%
77%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
14%
20%
7%
10%
2%
0%
True
Faily true
Quite not true
Not true
Figure 4.9: The Impact of Illegal Mining Activities on the School Attendance
Figure 4.8 above illustrates respondents‟ views on the impact of illegal mining on the
school attendance rates of children. An overwhelming 77% of total respondents held the view
that illegal mining truly affected the school attendance rates of children involved; with 14% of
them being of the view that it was fairly true that illegal mining affected the school attendance
rates of youths in the area. On the other hand, 7% of them indicated that it was quite not true that
illegal mining affected the school attendance rates of children. The remaining 2% of total
respondents denied the assertion that the involvement of youths in illegal mining negatively
affected their school attendance rates. These findings correlate with a study conducted by the
40
Kongo Community Development Association (KoCDA), which assessed the academic
performance of children in the Talensi-Nabdam District (KoCDA Report, 2010). It was found
that children devoted their time and energy on mining than concentrating on lessons taught in
class. Having gathered the Responses from respondents, the researcher was of the view that the
dropout from school was due to the high superiority many a youth have placed on illegal mining
to education. It also shows that although ‘illegal mining’ started long time ago, those who were
involved were mostly adults. In view of this, the youth and for that matter school children in
Chibuluma at that time were regular and punctual at their respective schools since they did not
find it expedient and profitable to engage in that illegal mining activity. The parents and
guardians encouraged their children to attend school every day, as they did their best to provide
them with their basic needs. With this growing rate of illegal mining activities, the researcher as
such pursued to find out the negative effect that illegal mining has on school attendance rates,
with the most common implication being the loss of interest in education.
4.6.3. Most Common Implication of Illegal Mining on Students’ Learning Process
Others…
Loss of interest
in school
35%
Drug abuse
15%
Poor grades
20%
Insubordination
to school
authorities
5%
Absenteeism
16%
Figure 4.10: Most Common Implications of Illegal Mining on Learning Process
41
From figure 4.9 above, 35% of respondents were of the view that children who engaged in
activities eventually lost interest in education. Also, according to 20% of them asserted that
illegal mining consequently led to children scoring poor grades in school; with a further 16% of
them being of the view that illegal mining led to absenteeism from school. 15% of the
respondents were for the view that drug abuse in illegal mining affected education of the youths
involved. Moreover 5% of the total respondents held that insubordination to school authorities
was a common implication of illegal mining in Chibuluma. Finally, according to the remaining
9% they held that illegal mining affects students in so many ways like unwanted pregnancies to
many school going girls and crimes of all sorts.
42
CHAPTER V
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1. Summary
The researchers’ main aim was to find out whether illegal mining has a significant impact
on the students’ learning process in Chibuluma Township of Zambia. The Data was collected
from 54 Students, 6 senior teachers, 3 head teachers, 10 illegal miners and 12 community
representatives totalling up to 85 respondents. The Data was collected through Questionnaires,
face to face Interview and Observation guides. The researcher was convinced that if certain
findings were to be eradicated, the education process of the students could be enhanced and
improved for the better. The study was guided under the following research questions; what are
the factors that push the youths to go for Illegal Mining at the expense of their education?
Secondly, to what extent does the socio-economic status of the community influences the
students’ learning process? Thirdly, is there correlation between activities in the community and
the students Learning Process? And lastly, how can illegal mining affect the normal running of
the school and students’ learning process? Although the extent of illegal mines influence of
education in Chibuluma has not been established numerically, the research findings have shown
that illegal mining in Chibuluma Township is a problem not only on the people but on the
education of the students as well. From the findings it was so clear that education for most
residents in Chibuluma is a secondary thing if not irrelevant at all.
5.2. Conclusion
The research findings highlighted the current effects of illegal mining on the learning
process of children involved, generally indicating that fundamental challenges exist in
eradicating illegal mining in the community. The researcher was convinced that the questions
which guided this research seemed to have been addressed. The findings of this study are as
43
follows: The study brought to the fore, the pervasive nature of illegal mining. An overwhelming
62% of respondents held strong views that the phenomenon of illegal mining was indeed
pervasive. The first research question was to find out what really causes illegal mining. It was
evident from the study findings that majority of respondents were of the view that poverty is the
leading casual factor of illegal mining in Chibuluma. That is, due to the generally low standard
of living of the people of the study area, children were forced to engage in illegal mining in order
to cater for their own needs as well as meet the needs of the immediate family. It was also
realized from the study that illegal mining was seen as an avenue to further their education. This
made illegal mining activity an attractive destination for young boys to acquire much needed
income to further their education. Also, due to inadequate educational and recreational facilities,
children engaged in illegal mining, need for affiliation and identity to social groups was also seen
as a causal factors. A section of respondents saw pressure from parents as well as broken homes
was mentioned by respondents as being the causal factors of students opting for illegal mining to
education.
The second question of discussion was to find out whether socio-economic status of the
community influences the students’ learning process. This was so clearly stated by most
respondents firstly that, lack of social facilities around the township is one of the leading factors,
making youths to go into pubs, and other un-conducive environments for their growth.
Moreover, Poverty as has been mentioned, largely influences one to acquire education. After
computing the findings that the extent to which social economic factors affect learning process is
very high, the prevalence of the phenomenon with low economic and social status impacts
adversely students’ learning process of students.
The third question was to find out whether there is the relationship between community
activities and students learning process. Findings from the study confirmed that there was indeed
44
a direct relationship between the Community activities such as mining and the students’ learning
process. A significant number (67%) of respondents were of the view that community activities
provided an avenue for the students and youths in general to join illegal mining. It is an
undeniable fact according to the data collected that truly there is a relationship explicitly or
implicitly between the two variables; this is made evident by teachers, pupils and the community
representatives. Many illegal miners are sponsoring their sisters or brothers who are in school,
furthermore, what happens to be the only source of income to many school leavers, is illegal
mining, this gives the students no motivation to study since they tend to think that there is a
block for their future. Geographical location according to many teachers that were interviewed
and community representatives alike showed that it is vitally relevant to reconsider the site of the
school in order to help students concentrate on their studies.
Finally the last question was to find out what impacts illegal mining has on students’
learning process. The study revealed that illegal mining affected the total development of
children, a majority number of respondents for this study confirmed. It was also gathered that
child involvement in illegal mining activities negatively affected their school attendance rates.
The study also pin pointed the loss of interest in education as the most common implication of
illegal mining activities on child education. Other implications of child involvement in illegal
mining activities on their education include; poor grades, insubordination to school authorities
and absenteeism, drug abuse, criminal offenses, bullying, love for money, and unplanned
pregnancies.
Additionally, the findings shows that Illegal mining has become the prime source of
livelihood in most households of the people in Chibuluma, thus if left unchecked, the problem is
likely to grow much more given the current global demand and attractive international prices for
the various minerals mined by these illegal miners. These illegal miners do not get paid or at
45
times are paid very little barely for survival. Eventually, poverty appears to be the major
explanation why most youths engage in various work activities in the place. It also emerged from
the research that stopping illegal mining at the moment is not a viable solution since people are
being forced into the activity mainly by lack of employment, and general poverty affecting the
whole country. Illegal mining seems to be the only meaningful income generating project in this
township. In this case poverty has become both the cause and effect of illegal mining and thus
posing and influence to students. The effects of illegal mining on the learning process of students
in such practices is a dynamic and interesting subject because it deals with youths in the labour
force, the educational institution, and family and societal organizational structures. Different
authors have given varying perspectives from researches on the topic. The study revealed that
illegal mining significantly affected the total development of children. Specifically, it’s most
glaring impact was on their learning process. The study identified factors that pushed youths of
Chibuluma Township into illegal mining. Factors such as poverty, lack of alternatives,
inadequate educational and recreational facilities, need for affiliation into social groups, peer
pressure which was enhanced by the “luxurious” life often portrayed by youths working in illegal
mines attracting their peers to join and have the same lifestyle of “fast money” a Culture that has
come into the youths today. This further attracts some girls who get entangle into relationships
with these youths and end up becoming pregnant at an earlier stage. Poor and unmotivated
attitudes from most parents have led many to reconsider education and opt for other activities;
broken homes and pressure from parents were identified by respondents as being the leading
causal factors of illegal mining in Chibuluma. These effects may appear insignificant, but they
are real and their cumulative effect needs to be mitigated to reduce their impact on Chibuluma
Township and the Zambian community as a whole.
46
5.3. Recommendations
It emerged from the research that stopping illegal mining at the moment is not a viable
solution since youths are being forced into the activity mainly by lack of employment, and
general poverty affecting the whole country, thus bearing in mind as well that Illegal mining
seems to be the only reliable source of income to many youths and adults alike, the Government
of the republic of Zambia (GRZ), Chibuluma community, the Teachers, the Parents Teachers
Association (PTA) and the District Education Board (DEB) in collaboration with the Ministry of
Education (MoE) needs to come up with strategies that seek to reduce destruction of these
mining activities on education and lives of many residents. Such strategies as proposed by the
respondents are quite split since some wishes to eradicate illegal mining and others not for that.
1. Efforts should be made to address the current deplorable state of educational and social
service facilities in the community. This could help keep the children in school instead of
taking up illegal mining as their option.
2. Provision of adequate basic school and social infrastructure in order to halt illegal mining
by driving attention of the students
3. Strengthening laws on illegal mining in the community and strengthening already existing
structures like police force who are guarding the area
4. Provision of subsidies to the local folk
5. Provision of mining licenses at affordable fees since it is one of the major sources of
income for survival.
6. Provide Training and educational awareness campaigns on the negatives impacts of illegal
mining.
7. This study also revealed the need for a change in perception about illegal mining in
Chibuluma in order to halt such a practice
47
5.4. Areas for Further Study
It is the researcher’s humble opinion that the current research has not fully exhausted all
the researchable problems one can find in the educational field. It would be of great help for
those doing researches to continue to research on the topics that are in line with this topic. It is in
this regard that the research commends the following areas for further study:
 Evaluation of the need for EE to be included as a component in all formal and informal
training for all child miners.
 Extent to which environment affects Education
 Impacts of illegal Mining on girl Child education in mining communities
 An investigation into the social, economic and biophysical impacts of mining on
students’ performance
48
REFERENCES
Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory, New York: General Learning Press Publishing.
Bonnet, M. 1993. “Child Labor in Africa” International Labor Review 132
Brooks D, Christopher. (2010). Space matters: The impact of formal learning environments on
Student learning; British Journal of Educational Technology, USA:
Blackwell Publishing.
Calhoun. (2002). Karl Marx History of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ 20-03-2014
Central Statistical Office of
Zambia, 2010 Census http://www.zamstats.gov.zm/report/
Census/2010/CensusPopulationNationalAnalyticalReport2010Census.pdf
Chipatu Lillian. (2011). Environmental Education to address Negative Impacts of Copper
Mining in Kankoyo township of Zambia’s Copperbelt Region; Lusaka: University of
Zambia.
Francis L. Kolman, The Northern Rhodesia Copperbelt, USA, Augustus M. Kelly Publishers
GRZ. (2006). Economic Report 2005 Ministry of Finance and National Planning,
Guarcello, L, et al. (2005). Impact of Children's Work on School Attendance and Performance,
Hart, Joseph K. (1927).
A Social Interpretation of Education, Journal of Educational
Psychology.
Hilson, G. (2010). Child labour in African Artisanal Mining Communities: Experiences from
Northern Ghana.
International Labour Office (ILO). (2004). Thematic Evaluation on Elimination of Child labor in
small-scale mining and quarrying, Geneva
Jones Opoku-Ware. (2010). Impacts of Mining Activities on Indigenous Communities in Kenyasi
of Ghana, Kristiansand: University of Agder, Norway.
Ken A. Graetz. (2006). http://www.educause.edu/learningspaces/ 29/04/14
Kongo Community Development Association (KoCDA) Report, 2010
49
Lippmann C. Peter. (2010).Can the Physical Environment have an Impact on the Learning
Environment? The International Journal of Learning, New York.
MOE. (2010). .Joint Review of the Primary Education Development Plan (PEDP), Lusaka:
Zambia.
Rudd, P., Reed, F., & Smith, P. (2008).The Effects of the School Environment on Young People’s
Attitudes toward Education and Learning. National Foundation for Educational
Research,
Slough,
Berkshire,
England
Retrieved
from
http://www.nfer.ac.uk/nfer/publications/BSY01/BSY01 .pdf
United Nations (UN). (2002). Universal Primary Education, http:// www.answers.com /topic/
universal- primary -education.
United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT). (2009). Kitwe urban profile,
Nairobi: UNON Publishing Services Section.
50
APPENDICES
Appendix 1: Questionnaire for the Students
DON BOSCO COLLEGE OF PHILOSOPHY AND EDUCATION
P.O. Box 8955,
Moshi, Tanzania
faithmusabila@yahoo.com
Effects of Illegal Mining Activities on Students’ Learning Process in Chibuluma Township
Dear Respondent,
I am Faith Musabila, a student of Don Bosco College of Philosophy and EducationMoshi, Tanzania undertaking a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy and Education, here by request
you to kindly fill in this questionnaire to enable me carry out my research work under the above
heading. Your honest and correct answer will be of great help to me. Your identity and all the
information gathered from you will be treated with due confidentiality and will be used only for
this research purpose.
To every respondent I say thanks for your cooperation.
Part I
INSTRUCTION: Please read the following questions carefully. Tick or write in the space
provided for the answer.
1. Sex
Male ( )
Female ( )
2. Tick your appropriate Age group
12-14 years
(
)
15-17 years
(
)
18-20 years
(
)
21-23years
(
)
Above 23years ( )
51
3. Are you happy to be in this school?
Yes (
) No (
)
4. If given a chance to choose school or work in the mines, where would you prefer?
School (
) work in Mines (
)
5. Give reason(s) for your answer.
Part II
6. Indicate whether you strongly agree (SA), agree (A), undecided (U), disagree (D), or
strongly disagree (SD) with the following statements.
Statement
SA
A. An illegal mining activity increases
students’ absenteeism.
B. Social/Economic
Environment
diminishes the students’ level of
concentration.
C. There are cases of crime caused by
some youths in illegal mines.
D. Community
activities
affects
students’ learning process
E. Parents encourage some youths to
go for illegal mining
F. The school has enough learning and
social facilities.
G. After completing my basic school
I’ll feel highly motivated.
H. Illegal mining does not affect
learning process.
52
A
U
D
SD
Part III
7. What do you think causes some youths to go for illegal mining?
________________________________________________________________________
8. Do you like to interact with peers working in the mines?
Yes (
)
No (
)
9. Do you admire the work that they are doing? Why?
10. Are you given chance to go out of the school premises?
Yes (
)
No (
)
11. How often per month do you go out for games and other co-curricular activities?
None (
)
Once (
)
2-4 times (
) More than 4 times (
)
12. How do you feel each time you are out?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_____________
13. Do you have friends in the community around your school that go for illegal mining?
Yes (
)
No (
)
14. Do they help you maintain your plans?
Yes (
)
No (
)
15. Explain your answer?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________
53
16. What is your stance about illegal mining activities in relation to students’ learning
process?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Thanks a lot
54
Appendix2: Questionnaire for the Senior Teachers
DON BOSCO COLLEGE OF PHILOSOPHY AND EDUCATION
P.O. Box 8955,
Moshi, Tanzania
faithmusabila@yahoo.com
Effects of Illegal Mining Activities on Students’ Learning Process in Chibuluma Township
Dear Respondent,
I am Faith Musabila, a student of Don Bosco College of Philosophy and EducationMoshi, Tanzania undertaking a Bachelors’ Degree in Philosophy and Education, here by request
you to kindly fill in this questionnaire to enable me carry out my research work under the above
heading. Your honest and correct answer will be of great help to me. Your identity and all the
information gathered from you will be treated with due confidentiality and will be used only for
this research purpose.
Thank you all for your cooperation.
Part I
INSTRUCTION: Please read the following questions carefully. Tick or write in the box
provided for the most appropriate answer.
Where explanation is required, use the space provided.
1. Sex:
Male
Female
2. Age group
20-25 years(
)26-30 years
31-35 years(
)
( )
36-40 years
(
)
55
41-45 years (
)
46-50years(
)
Above 50 years ( )
3. What is your highest level of education?
Form 6 ( )
Diploma (
)
Degree (
)
Masters Degree (
)
Doctorate (
)
4. Is this your first school to work in?
Yes (
)
No (
)
5. If No, explain the differences you have observed from your previous schools with the current
one.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________
6. Have you ever attended any professional staff development seminar or workshop concerning
the Environmental Education?
More than 5 times (
)
3 to 4 times
(
)
1 to 2 times
(
)
Not yet
(
)
7. For how many years have you been in the school/community?
8. Do you think it is health for students to interact with the community?
Yes (
)
No (
)
56
Give reason/s for your answer
Part II
9.
Indicate whether you strongly agree (SA), agree (A), undecided (U), disagree (D), or
strongly disagree (SD) with the following statements.
Statement
SA
A
U
D
SD
1. Teachers’ interaction with Environment/
Community fosters effective learning.
2. Students
actively
interact
with
the
Community.
3. Location of School affects learning process
of students.
4. Students’ Education is disturbed by the
community activities.
5. Social economic status affects a child’s
learning process.
6. At the expense of illegal mining students
forfeit their education
Part III
10. There are facilities in the community that disturb the students’ degree of concentration.
True ( )
False (
)
11. Do illegal mining activities pose any influence on students learning process? How?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
12. What impacts does illegal mining have on the learning process of a child?
57
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
13. What do you think are the causes for students/youths to opt for illegal mining illegal mining?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
14. To what extent does illegal mining affect the students?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
15. What are the factors present in the community that affects the learning process?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________
16. How do you think school-environment can be improved to have quality learning process?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________
17. Is it possible to put an end to illegal mining activities? Give a reason for your answer.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
18. What do you think the local authorities should do in order to stop illegal Mining activities?
58
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
Thanks a lot
59
Appendix 3: Interview Guide for the Head teachers
DON BOSCO COLLEGE OF PHILOSOPHY AND EDUCATION
P.O. Box 8955,
Moshi, Tanzania
faithmusabila@yahoo.com
Effects of Illegal Mining Activities on Students’ Learning Process in Chibuluma Township
I am Faith Musabila a student of Don Bosco College of Philosophy and Education,
Moshi-Tanzania. I am carrying out an educational research on the effects of the Illegal Mining
Activities on the learning process of the students in Chibuluma Township as a fulfillment for my
Bachelors’ degree in Education. Your sincere responses will be of great help to the success of the
research. Your identity and all the information gathered from you will be treated with due
confidentiality and will be used only for this research purpose.
1. What is your name?
2. What is the name of your school?
3. When was your school founded?
4. How? Who? Why?
5. What lead to this achievement?
6. What importance does your school have to the community?
7. Is there any relation between the students and mining areas? How?
8. What do you think are the effects of this relation on the students’ learning process?
9. How does this school with all its roles affect the community?
10. What are some of the facilities in the community that favor the students’ learning
process?
11. What is the average number of students who pass to go to High Schools in a year?
60
12. What do you think are some of the community social, physical and economic activities
that destruct the school programs?
13. What are the factors present in the community that affects the students’ level of learning?
14. How do you assess the impacts of illegal mines on the school programs and objectives?
15. How does it contribute to the effective running of the school?
16. How do you assess the students’ behavior? Seeking permission, Cases of dodging, Cases
of drunkenness, Smoking/drugs etc.
61
Appendix 4: Interview Guide for Community Representatives
DON BOSCO COLLEGE OF PHILOSOPHY AND EDUCATION
P.O. Box 8955,
Moshi, Tanzania
faithmusabila@yahoo.com
Effects of Illegal Mining Activities on Students’ Learning Process in Chibuluma Township
1. What economic activities take place in this area? Is mining one of these activities?
2. If mining is taking place in this area, are children involved in the mining activities?
3. If children are involved in mining, what tasks do they do?
4. Are there families that own mines in this area? Who else owns mines in this area? Are the
mining enterprises registered? How long have the mines been in existed in this area?
5. Are the children paid for the mining activities they do? If they are paid, is it in cash or kind?
How regular are these payments? Who controls children’s earnings from mining activities?
6. Who are the buyers of the mining products? Are they companies’ or individuals?
7. Why do you think children start to work in the mining activities? (Family background)
8. What benefits do you think children get from work activities?
9. Do you think mining activities by children are interfering with their schooling?
10. How is the working environment of the children working in the mines?
11. Do you think mining activities affect the health of children working in the mines, If so, how?
12. What are the greatest needs of these children? What would you like to bed one to address
their needs?
13. Are there any organizations assisting children working in mining activities in this area? If so,
what assistance is offered?
14. Are there policies and programs/activities that have been developed pertaining to prevention
of child labor in mining activities in this area?
62
15. If yes, what policies/programs/activities are there?
16. In your view, what programs/activities need to be undertaken to prevent child labor in mining
activities in this area?
17. Any other suggestion on how children working in the mining activities can be assisted?
THANKS A LOT
63
Appendix 5: Interview Guide for the Youths Working In Illegal Mines
DON BOSCO COLLEGE OF PHILOSOPHY AND EDUCATION
P.O. Box 8955,
Moshi, Tanzania
faithmusabila@yahoo.com
Effects of Illegal Mining Activities on Students’ Learning Process in Chibuluma Township
1. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? About your community?
2. What is your highest level of education?
3. How long have you been working in the mines?
4. Why did you prefer to join the Jerabo Unit? What prompted you into this activity?
5. What is mainly involved in the work, do you enjoy it or what really inspires you about
this work? How often do you engage in mining operations?
6. What is you production tonnage per day, and how do you do the sales?
7. Are you paid for the mining activities you do? If so, is it in cash or kind?
8. How regular are these payments? Who controls your earnings from mining activities?
9. Who are the buyers of the mining products? Are they companies or individuals?
10. Are there tough parts about working there?
11. What are the most difficult issues facing this community in relation to mining activities?
12. What are the employment and education pathways of young people here now?
13. What do young people do in their free time?
14. Have you noticed any difference since you joined the mine and before?
15. From your perspective, how is mining affecting, or going to affect, the community as a
whole? And youth more specifically?
16. Is there anything else you would like to add?
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Appendix 6: Map Showing Chibuluma and the Mining Site
Illegal mining site
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