by Angela Ilomo
How World Bank Fund will improve education
The Government, through funding from the World Bank, has launched a programme to enhance teaching and learning in pre-primary and primary schools (BOOST) worth more than one trillion shillings. The Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Adolf Mkenda, said the five-year programme aimed to improve the learning and teaching environment, skills and quality of teachers in teaching and enhance access to resources that facilitate service delivery at Municipal Council levels.
The World Bank Country Director, Mara Warwick, said the intention was to see pre-primary and primary education become better, safer and more inclusive for all children required to attend school. (The Citizen)
Tanzania outlines plans to overhaul education
The Government, while disclosing areas that need to be looked at in the planned reforms to improve education sector in the country, had concerns about the lack of necessary skills amongst local graduates. Skills that are necessary for creating their own jobs through entrepreneurship and the mismatch between school knowledge and job market demands in the private sector. The government has now started collecting views from different stakeholders as it seeks to overhaul the education sector to produce competent graduates.
Education minister Prof Adolf Mkenda said stakeholders should continue airing their views on the education policy review, legal framework, change in the curricula, demand and quality of teachers, trainers and lecturers. He also spoke about their plans to sponsor best performers in science. (The Citizen)
Free education now to include Form 5 and Form 6
The government is recommending the introduction of fee education policy which will remove all forms of fees and contribution for Form Five and Six students in government schools. “Currently, form five and six students are 90,825 and 56,880 respectively with financial needs amounting to TSh 10. 3 billion, as directed by President Samia Suluhu Hassan, I recommend fee education for form five and six students,” said the Finance and Planning Minister to Parliament while presenting the national budget for financial year 2022/23. (The Citizen)
Samia’s recommendations on transforming education in Zanzibar
President Samia Suluhu Hassan yesterday issued four key recommendations to stem the tide of disappointments brought by students scoring Division Four and Zero in the Form Four examination results. Suluhu spoke during the launch of a Zanzibar’s based nonprofit organisation-the Mwanamke Initiative Foundation (MIF) which among other things focuses at promoting the standard of education in the Isles.
The first suggestion is to change the curriculum to align with the one working in Tanzania Mainland, while the second is for education authority in Zanzibar to evaluate the standard of school appraisers and provide them with proper and quality equipment. The third idea is to assess the qualities of teachers and the fourth is changing social beliefs on matters such as early marriage and gender discrimination. (The Citizen)
Government schools dominate Top 10 slots in Form Six exams
Government schools have continued to dominate the top 10 slots nationally in the Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (ACSEE) results which were as announced on Tuesday, July 5, in Zanzibar. Announcing the results of the teachers’ and Form Six examinations, the council’s acting executive secretary, Athuman Amas, said this year’s performance showed a 0.25 percent increase compared to last year (2021). He said that 93,136 candidates, equivalent to 99% passed the tests. (The Citizen)
Over 900 students returned to school by February
A total of 909 dropout students have been re-admitted this year following the decision to allow teenage mothers and other students who dropped out for various reasons. The Deputy Minister also said that the integrated programme for out of school enrolment is meant to give learning opportunity for them and that parents, guardians and the community now need to be engaged to support the registration of dropouts.
The United Kingdom’s Minister for Africa, Latin America and The Caribbean, Vicky Ford has commended the government’s decision to allow dropouts to get back to school.
This happened during the launching event of a multibillion programme called ‘Shule Bora’ funded by UK Aid which will be implemented in 9 regions. The aim of the programme is to deliver quality, inclusion and safety education for all children in public schools. (The Daily News)