Uwezo Tanzania‘s official Annual Learning Assessment (ALA) report was released in Dar-es-Salaam today. The report outlines the purpose of Uwezo in Tanzania and greater East Africa, the research approaches and tools used to measure literacy and numeracy levels in schools, the results found, and their implications.
The following are conclusions drawn from the report:
1. Only 3 in 10 Standard 3 pupils can read a basic story in Kiswahili.
2. Only 1 in 10 Standard 3 pupils can read a basic story in English.
3. Only 3 in 10 Standard 3 pupils can add, subtract and multiply.
4. Our children learn in strikingly unequal conditions.
5. Our teachers are often absent.
These facts are not encouraging, but should serve to be an urgent call to action for all constituents of education in Tanzania. The factors affecting literacy and numeracy according to Uwezo are:
- Whether the student is enrolled in a private or a public school; Uwezo found that private school students excel.
- Whether the student has had pre-primary education; it was apparent that having pre-primary education is an advantage.
- Whether students can speak Kiswahili; speakers are favored.
- How wealthy the student’s household is; wealthier families have more of an advantage.
- Whether the student’s parents are education; educated parents have educated children.
- Where the student’s school is located; schools in urban areas benefit more than those in rural areas
Download the full report, including data analysis, here. To contact the Uwezo Tanzania team, e-mail tanzania (at) uwezo (dot) net or call +255 222 150 793. Uwezo is located on Mtitu Street in Upanga, Dar-es-Salaam. You can also visit their website.
Read previous posts on Uwezo in Tanzania and East Africa.
Read previous posts on Twaweza.
Thats how our education are in tz, almost 30% of our pupils had nothing from their school, even me, I’m among of them. I studied on the same condition.
polen sana ndg zangu. I appriciate your work, its ours now and the govt to find out the better solution on these. so we need to conduct various discussion about our eduction.
After having read the report, it seems that although it is important to consider the different factors that hinder these children’s learning not a lot of assessment is placed on teacher evaluation.
The report states that one of the factors that deters students from learning is the absence of teachers. Besides monitoring teacher attendance, are there any other kinds of evaluation that take place ? Are there any reports that focus on teacher pedagogy and effectiveness in the classroom ?
Also, the report does not mention why teachers are absent, can or is this related to income ? transport ? qualifications ?
Utafiti wa Uwezo ni jambo ambalo mtu yeyote anayefuatilia elimu ya Tanzania angetarajia. Jambo moja ambalo ni muhimu kutokana na utafiti huu ni kuwa inatuonesha ni taifa gani na vitu gani tutavuna kwa mwenendo huu tunaoweka kwenye elimu. Matatizo ni mengi. Hapa vijana FM mengi yamejadiliwa. Lakini labda moja ambalo ni muhimu ni kuwa pengine labda tujadili njia gani zinaweza kutuondoa huku tuliko, hasa ukizingatia kwamba siasa zetu hazitoi nafasi ya mijadala muhimu ya kitaifa (k.m elimu (ya msingi na elimu ya juu), umeme, maji, katiba, n.k). Labda nielezee kidogo, wakati Mkapa anaondoka ofisini serikali ilijitahidi kujenga shule nyingi sana za sekondari — sekondari kila kata. Miaka kadhaa baadae tumegundua kwamba hizi shule hazina vifaa vya kufundishia, walimu na majengo ni ya viwango vya chini. Serikali iliyofuata haijafanya jitihada zozote kuifahamisha jamii ya Watanzania juu ya nini inafanya kuondokana na tatizo hili. Tumeendelea kupeleka wanafunzi wetu kwenye shule ambazo sote tunafahamu hazitawapatia maarifa ya kutosha.
Taifa lolote haliwezi kuendelea bila sayansi na uzalishaji. Sayansi inaletwa na maarifa ambayo watu wanayapata shuleni. Sayansi hii lazima itie msisitizo katika kukuza uzalishaji wa ndani (domestic productivity). Tutajengaje sayansi wakati hata vitabu vya kufundishia hatuna, ukiacha maabara? Hili ni suala gumu kidogo lakini ebu tulifikirie kwa utaratibu huu:
1.) Serikali ni lazima iongeze kipato chake cha ndani. Kwa maana hii ni lazima kuwepo na njia bora ya kutoza ushuru kwa biashara zote nchini. Serikali ikiwa na pato la kutosha iongeze ufadhili mashuleni. Lakini ili kuwe na biashara ambayo inaweza kutoa kipato kwa serikali na wamiliki biashara, serikali ni lazima ije na mfumo mpya wa kukuza biashara nchini. Biashara ndogondogo (mafundi cherehani kutengeneza nguo, mazao ya mifugo(mf. maziwa), kilimo) lazima ziwekewe mazingira ya kusitawi. Mazingira haya maana yake yanahusisha uimarishaji wa soko la ndani. Mfano, badala ya mkulima kuuza maziwa kwa kopo kwa jirani, wakulima 5 – 20 waungane pamoja halafu waunde kampuni ya kusindika maziwa, serikali iwasaidia kwa ushauri wa kitaalamu. Maana yake ni kwamba serikali itaweza kukusanya kodi kutoka kwa wakulima hawa kwa urahisi zaidi, na pia mazao yao yatauzwa kwa faida kubwa zaidi. Serikali pia lazima ije na mikakati ya kuhakikisha mazao haya yanashindana na mazao kutoka nje (hata kama utaratibu huu utamaanisha kuongeza ushuru kwa bidhaa kutoka nje).
2.) Elimu iwe ni haki ya kila mtanzania. Maana yake ni kuwa elimu yote iwe bure, na wanafunzi wasilazimike kuvaa sare za shule wanapokwenda shule. Elimu ya juu pia iwe bure.
3.) Elimu ya juu pia iwe bure na lakini iwe na uwezo wa kuwafikia wananchi wa kawaida pia. Maana yangu ni kuwa watu waweze kushiriki masomo ya chuo kikuu chochote bure. Moja ya njia hizi ni kupitia auditor programs. Elimu kwa Umma kwa Wote ningeita. Masomo yatolewe kwa kiswahili. Mfano, mfanya biashara ataweza kuhudhuria masomo kuhusu jinsi ya kuendesha biashara yake, diwani atahudhuria masomo jinsi ya kuwashirikisha wananchi katika mambo ya kisiasa za kitaifa .n.k.
Yapo mengi, nikipata muda nitayajadili zaidi.
Serikali imeshindwa/haitaki kuchukua jukumu la kuondoa tatizo hilo lililopo.
Sisi wananchi tunaamua kuchukua hatua gani?
Hyperkei, karibu tena! Bihemo, endelea kuleta hoja (tutajaribu kukupa changamoto; hasa hilo wazo la elimu bure… wakati nchi haina hela ya kutosha).
Hili suala inabidi tu tujaribu kulishikilia bango, kuanzia majumbani mwetu. Sijui watu wangapi huchukua muda kuangalia madaftari ya wadogo na watoto zetu; au tunasubiri matokeo ya darasa la saba au kidato cha nne ndio tunazinduka?
@ Aliya, good points/questions! I understand these kinds of studies are still very new in TZ – three years ago, no one used to get bothered with the assessment of “learning” in primary and secondary schools. Most parents would just send their kids to schools and wait for the final exams results.
Yes, teachers need to be assessed, too. But, for now, it’s clear that the education system need a revamp; nice to hear ‘policy makers’ echoing Twaweza/Uwezo’s claims, which was not the case during the General Elections.
For a start: the Govt. should implement reinforcements for “good” teachers…
Clearly serikali imeshindwa. I spent 7 years in the Tanzanian education system. I felt like the teachers didn’t know what they were talking about half the time. There was more emphasis on “cramming” than actually understanding the basic concepts. The only reason I passed (barely) is because I was fluent in English and went to private school– not exactly the best, but certainly not the worst. Walimu wakali, I would be absolutely terrified to ask any questions in class for fear of being laughed at, or worse yelled at by the teacher. It’s very intimidating and an eye opening experience when the teachers can’t even remember half the names of the students in class. The ones that struggled were seen as a lost cause, they were never really encouraged to do better. Anyway, that was my experience. I’d like to hear some of your own experiences with the education system in Tanzania.
I would also like to know, how can help? We’re already aware of the problem..so what are we going to do about it? If not us, then who?
@SN thanks for this information, its good to know some improvements are being made.
@ Inconoir, its really interesting to hear your perspective of the system in TZ. In your opinion, what do you think educators and policy makers should be doing to rectify these issues ?
@Aliya, in all honesty I think the teachers were simply a product of the same education system. Memorizing but not really grasping or fully understanding certain concepts. Also, I believe many choose to attend teacher’s college if they don’t make the grade for university. This means we have people that got Division 3 /4 on their Form IV/ VI exams teaching us. Now how can we expect top marks from students if the teachers couldn’t even achieve them?
One more thing that bugs me to this day, how can you go from learning everything in Swahili for 7 years then abruptly switch to English from Form I onward? Makes absolutely no sense at all.I had family friends who would take their children to Kenya or Uganda to learn English. Their grades improved remarkably after being transferred abroad. It’s not that Tanzanian kids are dumb, they just need to understand what is being taught. Either we stick to English from kindergarten until university, or we have everything in Swahili from the get-go. People don’t realize it, but Swahili has the potential to be the next big thing. They already offer Swahili programs in universities all over the world and most of the professors that teach it are from Kenya and Burundi!
I came across an article a few days ago that was talking about harmonization of the education system in East Africa. In my opinion, this would make a lot of sense. East Africa, or at least Tanzania, needs an entirely new curriculum. Nakumbuka madudu tu enzi za primary school.
More info about the harmonization process here : http://www.eac.int/education/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53&Itemid=106
@ Inconoir, thank you so much for sharing your experience with me.
I didnt know that teachers resort to teachers college if they dont have the grades for Uni, that’s important to know. Something to look into.
Also, I agree with you, Swahili does have the potential to be the next big thing. I also agree however, that if a language is being taught it should either be one language throughout the school year or both languages during the year, otherwise it can get confusing.
Ill definitely take a look at the above mentioned articles.
Thank you Inconoir !
naomba kuona shule ya colleta memorial