Kinyambiss
JF-Expert Member
- Dec 2, 2007
- 1,374
- 72
The government has defended its position regarding the dismal performance of public schools following the growing outcry on the quality of education offered by these institutions of learning.
Deputy Minister for Education and Vocational Training Mwantumu Mahiza said in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday during the launch of fashion for education fund spearheaded by a reputable fashion designer Ally Rehmtullah to raise funds for government secondary schools countrywide.
She rejected arguments of people who were trying to link poor exams results to the standard of education in the country.
She said the government has plans to improve the facilities in the schools by providing enough text books, laboratory equipment, and qualified staff to prove wrong skeptics.
According to Mahiza in the past, 75 per cent of pupils missed chances of getting secondary education but now it was just a matter of time and in the near future each ward in the country will have form four leavers. She called for support to the programme to salvage the country from illiteracy.
Mahiza said the government when introducing the ward secondary schools knew that it would have to invest a lot to raise the standard of the schools.
However, a cross section of education experts interviewed said the state of the schools facilities lowered the quality of education.
Dr Matheo Raphael, director of the Centre for Development and Transfer of Technology at the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (Costech), said contents rather than numbers is what counts when it comes to the standard of education of any given country.
When 100 candidates are enrolled and 50 of them pass, the percentage pass is 50, but when you enroll 200 and 90 of them pass, definitely the number of candidates that have passed is higher in the second case compared to the first, but the pass mark percentage is low, he argued.
He said ward secondary schools were introduced to accommodate a big number of students to the next level of education without due regard to exams results.
According to Dr Raphael, a primary school leaver of 1970s argues in a more informed manner than a form four leaver today.
In those good old days, only deserving bright pupils made it to secondary level and the standard of education was high he said.
The National Examinations Council of Tanzania (Necta) early this month released 2009 Form Four national examination results with government schools once again failing to enter the top ten list.
Necta Executive Secretary Joyce Ndalichako, said at least 42,672 candidates being 17.85 per cent, passed with between division 1 and 3. Some 13,788 (12.47 per cent) girls got between divisions one and three compared to 28,884 (22.48 per cent) boys who passed with the same divisions. A total of 173,323 out of 339,925 candidates, who sat for the examinations last year passed.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
Deputy Minister for Education and Vocational Training Mwantumu Mahiza said in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday during the launch of fashion for education fund spearheaded by a reputable fashion designer Ally Rehmtullah to raise funds for government secondary schools countrywide.
She rejected arguments of people who were trying to link poor exams results to the standard of education in the country.
She said the government has plans to improve the facilities in the schools by providing enough text books, laboratory equipment, and qualified staff to prove wrong skeptics.
According to Mahiza in the past, 75 per cent of pupils missed chances of getting secondary education but now it was just a matter of time and in the near future each ward in the country will have form four leavers. She called for support to the programme to salvage the country from illiteracy.
Mahiza said the government when introducing the ward secondary schools knew that it would have to invest a lot to raise the standard of the schools.
However, a cross section of education experts interviewed said the state of the schools facilities lowered the quality of education.
Dr Matheo Raphael, director of the Centre for Development and Transfer of Technology at the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (Costech), said contents rather than numbers is what counts when it comes to the standard of education of any given country.
When 100 candidates are enrolled and 50 of them pass, the percentage pass is 50, but when you enroll 200 and 90 of them pass, definitely the number of candidates that have passed is higher in the second case compared to the first, but the pass mark percentage is low, he argued.
He said ward secondary schools were introduced to accommodate a big number of students to the next level of education without due regard to exams results.
According to Dr Raphael, a primary school leaver of 1970s argues in a more informed manner than a form four leaver today.
In those good old days, only deserving bright pupils made it to secondary level and the standard of education was high he said.
The National Examinations Council of Tanzania (Necta) early this month released 2009 Form Four national examination results with government schools once again failing to enter the top ten list.
Necta Executive Secretary Joyce Ndalichako, said at least 42,672 candidates being 17.85 per cent, passed with between division 1 and 3. Some 13,788 (12.47 per cent) girls got between divisions one and three compared to 28,884 (22.48 per cent) boys who passed with the same divisions. A total of 173,323 out of 339,925 candidates, who sat for the examinations last year passed.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
