Sprin Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Abbreviated Key Title: Spr. J. Arts. Humanit. Soc. Sci. ISSN A/F Journal homepage: https://sprinpub.com/sjahss/ The role of extra lessons on the general administration of urban day high density secondary schools Richard Bukaliya Zimbabwe Open University, Mashonaland East Regional Campus Department of Teacher Development, P.O BOX 758 Marondera, Zimbabwe. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5835203 Received: 15.12.2021 | Accepted: 01.01.2022| Published: 11.01.2022 ABSTRACT This study investigated the role of extra lessons on the general administration of the secondary schools in Chegutu, Zimbabwe. The case study design was adopted. Interviews, focus group discussions and document analysis were used to collect data. Twenty-three participants, consisting 8 teachers, 6 learners, 6 parents and 3 school inspectors were purposively sampled. Findings revealed that the general administration of schools was affected by extra lessons. Extra lessons helped in raising the school pass rates. They helped build a good image for the schools and assisted in the reduction of the teachers` workload. However, the lessons created a dent on teacher professionalism. Teachers were accused of neglecting formal schoolwork by creating demand for extra lessons among learners. The lessons also contributed to indiscipline among learners. Relations between learners and teachers were also strained. The study recommended that extra lessons should continue as they reduced the workload for teachers and provided a conducive working environment at the school. It is prudent that MOPSE, school heads and parents monitor work given to learners during normal school hours to avoid the creation of artificial demand for extra lessons. Keywords: Extra lessons, administration, urban day, high density, secondary schools 1. INTRODUCTION Supplementing and complementing what has been learnt in the formal school classroom through extra lessons has received a lot of attention from different stakeholders and the practice has become a worldwide undertaking, consequently generating a lot of discussion in countries in the European Union, Asia, Canada and Africa (Baker & LeTendre, 2005; Bray, 2011; Davies & Aurini, 2016; Munikwa & Mutungwe, 2011; Sacmeq, 2010). So popular have been the extra lessons that they have been an activity that has been incorporated in education sub-systems in most countries, globally, as learners take to the activity on a very large scale (Bray, 2015). Various reasons have been advised for the practice. In Zimbabwe, extra lessons were initially designed by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MOPSE), as remedial lessons, to assist learners lagging aspects of their formal school learning areas. MOPSE, through Chief Education Officer Circular Minute Number 12 of 1987, declared that activities meant to provide remediation for learner inadequacies and deficiencies were only meant to assist those of average and learners above average ability who appeared to be lagging at least two years behind in a learning area to enable them to catch up with others. However, with the practice involving all types of learners and teachers and different types of schools, there has been mixed feelings about efficacy and potency leading to some stakeholders questioning their role in the mainstream education system. While their role in propping up learners` academic achievement has received wide debate albeit with a lot of disagreements, it is their effects on the general administration of the school that needs attention (Bray, 2013). For that reason, this study was an investigation aimed Copyright @ 2022 This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution license which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium for non-commercial use (Non Commercial, or CC-BY-NC) provided the original author and source are credited. 13 Vol. 01(01), Jan 2022, pp. 13-25