The
Tanzanian
educational system
The
Tanzanian government school system is constructed differently than that
in many developed countries. The major technical difference is that in
many countries, school is free and every child has the right to attend.
And though there are many children in the world who value education, in
Tanzania it is considered a privilege to attend school.
The major challenges which prevent kids from attending school are many,
including shortage of schools and teachers and inability of families to
pay for school fees and expenses. In some cases, the adults of the
household require the students to quit school to get married, help with
younger kids and work around the home. Or, some adults in the homes may
value education, but they themselves are uneducated and are therefore
unable to help with homework. Additionally, students may live a long
distance from their school and are required to walk up to two hours each
way. Due to lack of electricity in the homes, once it is dark, students
have no light for homework and reading. But despite all these rather
daunting hurdles, these students sincerely do their best to go to school
and stay in school.
A major obstacle for attending school is cost. Students are required to
pay school fees, for uniforms, food, materials and if they are placed in
a school away from home, boarding fees. The total costs for primary
school is approximately $40.00 per year. The cost of secondary school is
as much as $400 to $800 per year for government schools. Obviously if
the student is placed in a secondary school in another village or city,
there is a cost for boarding which can bring the total up to $900.00 or
more. The fact that many families survive on less than a dollar or two a
day means that many families cannot afford to send their kids to school.
Or families can afford to send only one of their children to school.
Imagine having to decide which of your children will have a chance for
success in life and which will not?
Movement from primary to secondary school requires the student to pass a
national exam. Shockingly, more than half the students do not pass the
exam. In 1999, 20% passed, in 2002, 27% passed and in 2005, the pass
rate improved to 49%. Those who do not pass the exam and cannot afford
private school must simply end their education. Also, less than one half
of one percent (.27%) of students in Tanzania goes on to University!
In school, students are instructed in the subjects of English, Swahili (the national language), mathematics, civics, government, science and history. In both primary and secondary schools, subjects are taught in English so that students will have good working knowledge of a language which will link them to the rest of the world. In some cases, this instruction in English creates a barrier if students did not get good training at the primary school level. Many schools do not have computers, putting them at a disadvantage in keeping up with technology. Also, many of the facilities are in ill repair, there is a shortage of books and materials and electricity is unreliable and can shut off at any time. Currently there is a severe shortage of teachers in Tanzania and they are not paid well enough to sustain a decent lifestyle. Average salaries are $150.00 to $300.00 per month. It is difficult to hire and retain good teachers.
Despite cultural and logistical differences, there are some striking similarities between African kids and those from elsewhere. They love running and playing, teasing, kicking a soccer ball or empty plastic bottle, showing off for one another and hamming it up for photos. They are fun loving, well behaved and eager to learn. They do not take their education for granted.
It is well known that lack of education is a leading cause of poverty in the developing world. Children must have the opportunity to attend school so they can become part of the agent for changing the system and achieving personal success in life. This is where MamboViewPoint comes in. Our goal is to provide resources at least to some of the children of Mambo and around to allow these kids the opportunity to pursue their education.
Statistics
Primary School
- 60% of students attend primary school
-
Mean teacher to student ratio is 58 to 1
-
12% of students are from rural areas and 88% from urban areas
Secondary School
-
In 2000, 5% of the male population attended and 10% of the female
population.
Relationship to health and secondary schooling
|
|
No Schooling |
Secondary Schooling |
|
Pregnancy rate: |
70% |
40% |
|
AIDS awareness/prevention: |
30% |
78% |
Also it was found that secondary school attendance is associated with
lower infant death rate, better use of health care and higher
vaccination rate.
Unfortunately, only about 10% of eligible students attain secondary
education.
In the table below the education system of Tanzania is summarized.
|
Education |
age |
Duration
years |
language |
Sub-
jects |
Annual costs for govermental schools |
Required
for next level |
|
Primary
school |
4
-
10 |
7 |
Kiswahili |
|
tuition free
expenses for uniforms
testing fees school supplies |
|
|
Secondary school
Ordinary level
(0-level)
Form IV
|
10
-
14 |
4 |
Engish |
9
|
TSH 20,000
Expences for
testing fees
caution fees
watchman
academic furniture identity fee, emblem fee
fee for
lunches |
5 subjects with
with grades
of A-C |
|
Advanced
level
(A-level)
Form VI
|
14
-
16 |
2 |
English |
9, incl
general studies |
|
|
|
Bachelor's
degree |
16
-
19 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
Primary education
As
Kiswahili is the official language, it is used as the medium of
instruction in primary schools and is also taught as a subject. All
primary school textbooks, except English textbooks, are written in
Kiswahili.
Secundairy education
By
law, all secondary education must be taught in English (excepting
Swahili class). For many students, English is their third language. Even
though Swahili is the national language, there are approximately 120
tribal languages spoken in Tanzania. Especially in rural areas, Swahili
is often not the first language learned by children. Secondary education
has two levels. Open level is from form 1 through form 4. There is a
national standardized exam taken at the end of form 2 and another at the
end of form 4. After form 4, a certificate is issued to all passing the
exam. Selected students may progress to A level education (forms 5 & 6).
Not all schools offer A level classes and all students at this level are
boarding students. Because of the potential problems associated with
boarding both male and female students, A level schools restricts
enrolment to either just male or just female students. Secondary
education ends when students pass their form 6 national exam and receive
their diploma.
The government only has sufficient space in secondary schools for
approximately 1/3 of the students progressing from primary school. That
creates a large market for private schools where annual tuition vary
from around TSH 200,000 ($150 USD) to above the $20,000 USD range. A
typical private school tuition is around TSH 700,000 ($525 USD). It is a
difficult balancing act for the government, trying to keep education
affordable while keeping the quality as high as possible.
After the final year of secondary school students can take the Advanced
Certificate examination, which is recognized all over the world.
University
Other institutions of higher education include the University College of Lands and Architectural Studies (UCLAS), the Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences, the Institute of Finance Management in Dar es Salaam, and the Institute of Development Management in Morogoro.
The
school year for tertiary institutions generally begins in September or
October. This forces students to stay home for more than a year after
they take the ACSE.
Minimum entrance requirements for university and institutions of higher
learning under direct entry are: Certificate of Secondary Education
Examination (C.S.E.E.) or equivalent, with passes in five approved
subjects obtained prior to the sitting of the Advanced Certificate of
Secondary Education Examination (A.C.S.E.E.) or equivalent; AND two
principal level passes (in appropriate subjects) at the same sitting
with total points not below 5 based on the following scale: A=5; B=4;
C=3; D=2; E=1; S=0.5; F=0. Or two principal level passes (in appropriate
subjects) not at the same sitting provided they are both grade C or
higher.
Rating system
The results
are measured in a ranking system from A ( Excellent) to F (Failed) which
is equivalent to 1 (A) to
7
(F) points. The less points the better you
are. For form IV the 7 best subjects are counted which means the best
results will have 7 points and the worst
49.
Depending on the results pupils can pass for division 1 (7 to 17
points), division 2 (18 to 21 points), division 3 (22 to 25 points) or
division 4 (26 to 29 point)
Remarks
However, secondary school is done entirely in English with Swahili as a
subject. Multiple problems arise: the kids don’t know enough English to
study other subjects in this foreign language, the kids don’t understand
the teachers when the teachers speak English. Additionally, many
teachers just teach the subjects in Swahili. This might not be such a
problem if education in Tanzania wasn’t nationalized – but it is – thus
all examinations are in English as well.
What we’ve seen is that kids don’t really understand English. They
repeat letters and sounds and words but there is a block in terms of
actual comprehension, even at the secondary school level. The teachers
don’t make a lot of money and lack the resources and community support
to change the education system.