Kuna mambo yanatia kichefuchefu na ni ngumu sana kuamini kama maamuzi ya namna hii yanafanywa kupitia tafiti za kitaalamu au ni mihemko ya kisiasa ambayo italigharimu taifa siku za usoni:
a) Walimu na madarasa/nyumba hawatoshi kwa shule zilizopo sasa, tumesharukia kuzipeleka shule za msingi kuwa za sekondari pia!! Kuna shule hazina vyumba vya kutosha, walimu wenye taaluma (achilia mbali idadi), hatuna maabara wala vitabu vya kiada na ziada.
Kwenye dunia inayobadilika, kila kitu kinabadilika pia. Miaka ya 60 kuna elimu ya darasa la nne kulitosha kukupa kazi ya usimamizi.juu ya hapo hata umeneja ulikuwa size yako.
Marekani miaka ya 60, asilimia ndogo sana ya wananchi wake walikuwa na Master's degree, Specialization haikuwepo. Ukifanya
SEARCH kidogo tu@ utagundua kuwa 50 years later, asilimia ya wenye Master's sasa hivi marekani ni sawa na asilimia ya waliokuwa na bachelors degree miaka ya 60. Sasa Tanzania ikiendelea kuifanya elimu ya sekondari kuwa "luxury" watakuwa wanafanya makosa. Tunahitaji watu wengi zaidi wafike sekondari, ikiwezekana kila mtoto anayezaliwa Tanzania afike walao elimu ya sekondari.
Ukitazama hata sasa hivi Tanzania, kuwa na degree ya kwanza si lolote tena, kwani specialization inafanyika kwenye Master level. Hivyo kuendelea kuchuj awatu wasifike chuo kikuu sio suluhisho, suluhisho ni kuongeza quality ya wanaofika,pamoja na kuwawezesha walimu.
If i were in their position, i would allocate over 20% of national budget on basic education, kuanzia "high school",private sector wanaweza ku-cover hili gap. Serikali ihakikishe kuwa kila mtanzania anayesoma kwa miaka 11, anafahamu kitu flani. Hili haliwezekani kwa kuweka focus kwenye mitihani isiyo na kichwa wala miguu
b) Kufuta mitihani ya darasa la 7 na msisitizo kuwekwa kwenye mtihani wa form 4. Kama watu wanafika darasa la 7 bila kujua kusoma wala kuandika, mtu huyu anastahili vipi kuingia elimu ya sekondari??
Kama walimu hawajawezeshwa na focus ipo kwenye mitihani, hili ni rahisi kutokea, focus ya walimu irudi kwenye process, na sio kwenye results. Hakuna mtu mjinga kabisa duniani asiyefundishika, wengi huchukua muda tofauti kujifunza.
Napongeza uamuzi wa kuondoa focus kwenye mitihani, katika level ambayo mwanafunzi anatakiwa a-focus kwenye kuelewa na kupata ujuzi-basic, hivi humu kila mtu angewekewa mtihani wa kujifunza jinsi ya kutembea,kula,kuongea lugha inayotumika alipo, si ingekuwa problem?wengine wakisikia mtihani appetite ya kusoma inapotea.
Marekani wamefanikiwa kwa hili, na hata nchi kama Japan zenye mitihani, participation ya darasan (continuous) assesment ina uzito mkubwa sana, kiasi kwamba mtu anayeshiriki 100% darasani kwa maana ya mahudhurio,mazoezi ya kila siku anakuwa guarranteed at least 60% which is already passing grade.
Mitihani iwepo, ila isiwe alfa na omega.
Kwa sasa hivi huo mtihani wa darasa la saba umepoteza maana kwa private schools kwa kuwa nyingi huweka mitihani yao.wazazi wanalifahamu hili.
c) Inashangaza umuhimu uliowekwa kwa kiswahili, lugha ambayo inatumika katika mawasiliano ya kijamii lakini matumizi yake si ya kitaaluma kwa kiasi kikubwa. Dunia imeshatekwa na Kiingereza, na uamuzi huu si tena wa vita ya "colonial legacy" bali ni kujichimbia shimo refu hatutaweza kutoka. Wakati dunia inaenda kuwa kijiji kimoja, sisi tunaona ni muda muafaka kurudi kwenye shimo letu na kukaa huko. Imesemwa mara nyingi kuwa ni kuenzi lugha ya Kiswahili lakini ni ukweli sasa kuwa wakubali wameshindwa kuendeleza kiingereza kutokana na udhaifu wa kiutendaji. Na sasa wanapanua matumizi ya kiswahili ambayo yatawaondoa watu katika ulimwengu wa kisasa!!
This is one of the best decisions me thinks, Kiswahili hakiwezi kukua, kama tutaendelea kukitumia kama accessory, Hakuna maana kumlazimisha mtu ajifunze kwa kiingereza, halafu anafika form 4 hajaelewa kitu kwa kuwa lugha matatizo. Bora umfundishe kwa lugha anayoielewa, ili umuondolee barrier.
Mwanzo itakuwa ngumu, sana lakini baada ya miaka kadhaa tutafika. Wazazi wenye ku-prioritise kiingereza watapeleka watoto english medium.
Naamini kwa mtoto mwenye uwezo wa kujifunza kiingereza na kuelewa hahitaji kwenda english medium ili kuongea kiingereza vizuri.
d) Utaona mlolongo wa uuaji wa makusudi wa elimu. Kuwa na Div. 5, kufuta mitihani ya Darasa la 7 na sasa elimu kuwa ya miaka 11 mfululizo bila mitihani ya kuchuja!! Wanachotaka ni kuwa na watu watakaojiita wamemaliza form 4. Hao wamefikishwa hapo na matatizo lukuki ya mfumo wetu wa elimu!!
A sad day indeed!!
Big decisions are always controversial and will guarantee to shock, this could be the best thing to our education system, or it could be the worst.The devil is in the details and implementation.
I argue the government to push serious money in fundamental education, lets prioritize education in our budget. Lets make teaching something every intelligent Tanzanian aspires to do. lets go back to basics and inspire our youngsters to love reading and learning just for the sake of it.lets keep our youngsters think about their learning process more than they think about the results and the outcomes, for the best outcomes comes from good learning process.
I would start by increasing teachers remunerations, enhance schools budgets,expand schools auditing and priotritise learning infrastructures.
Kwa waajiri, it's time focus is put on students entire learning career not just 2 or 3 exams. lets make transcripts worthy and continuous assessment crucial.if it works in college education we can tickle it down to basic education.
NOTE:
I have strong reservations on these changes, and for me it takes someone with a lifetime mission and complete ownership of the process. I will respect our ministry if they pull this off in 10 years time,but i will never blame them for trying. for continuing in our current state is expressway to irrelevancy.