Abstract:
Education is the process of imparting or acquiring knowledge and skills useful in the development of powers for
reasoning and judgment. It contributes to development directly because of its relevance to the wellbeing and
freedom of people and indirectly through influencing social change and economic production. This study sought
to examine the contribution of secondary education knowledge and skills in enhancing self-employment in
informal sectors among graduates residing in Mvomero District of Tanzania. Quantitative methods were used to
collect data in which stratified sampling was done to obtain 400 participants, including both primary and
secondary education graduates working in informal sectors as entrepreneurs and peasants. This was followed by
systematic sampling to select participants from each stratum. The self administered structured questionnaire was
used to elicit opinions on the impact of skills and knowledge acquired at school in poverty reduction. The data
were analyzed using Mann Whitney U test and the results showed that secondary education has a potential in
poverty reduction as the knowledge and skills acquired by graduates during schooling were helpful in managing
and opting for a payable economic activity.
