Almost a year ago, I wrote an article through several media outlets including our very own blog ya jamii, about the need for reforming our education system. My concern then, which is still the same now, is the inability of our education system to create graduates who can translate their hard earned education to the current Tanzanian reality. I insisted that our best schools: University of Dar, Mzumbe, Muhimbili and the like, should be able produce the next Bill Gates, Michael Dell or be in the frontline in terms of finding cure for tropical diseases. Instead, we don’t know where our bright young man and women end up.
My intent in this article is to shed light on this very issue, by offering alternative ideas on what I believe ought to be done, to reform our education system and make it productive. That is having policy makers who appreciate the importance of productive education system, college graduate educators, change of mindset about the teaching profession, constant evaluation of the system, having a strict code for private school investors, a new look at science related curriculum, the role of parents, English and Swahili confusion , and change standard seven mandate to form four.
Before going further, let me reiterate that education is very complex; thus one article alone or one person can’t have answers for every predicament. In any case, I believe we have to start somewhere, let this be a medium to rethink again.
The role of our legislature and executive branch is critical when one is discussing the educational mess we are in now. These include the President, members of parliament, and government officials. These officials need to ask themselves: what kind of a nation do we want to build fifty to one hundred years from now? What kind of a nation will our grandchildren inherit from our children? Will it be the same Tanzania that imports more and exports less? The last question is: is the current status quo going to change the direction of the country or not? I believe it won’t. Policymakers should seriously think about creating an education system that will change the direction of our nation. We elected them to do this; to make tough choices and offer practical solutions.
Instead of napping in the parliament hall; they need to come up with a viable way to invigorate our education system. One of my friends told me that most of the government officials are not inspired to undertake this problem since their children attend private schools and ends abroad for their higher learning. My concern is about the common Tanzanians who can’t afford to send their children to private schools or abroad. I can’t imagine the chaos someone will witness in the future when the whole workforce has nothing in common; some went to school in France, some in Mozambique, some in Russia, some in US, some in China etc. They are all struggling to build Tanzania and they wonder nothing ever gets ahead.
The teaching profession also needs reform. Our primary and secondary school teachers are still one of the lowest paid professionals in the nation. In addition, it strikes me that teaching isn't respected in our society for the economic value that it is producing for our society. I still remember during my secondary and high school years, many people didn’t speak highly of the teaching profession. Worse enough, those who had average passing grades ended up in the teaching profession. Now, how do we change the public perception about teaching? We need to change the teaching profession decisive factors.
Someone shouldn’t be a teacher because they have no option, but rather because they love teaching. When people do what they love, they excel; when teachers excel our kids will excel. Why can’t they all have a college degree? The problem with this is that Tanzanians are not ready to teach when the pay is so low. Here is where our policymakers come into play. We need to increase our teacher’s compensation, increase it substantially. The last time I checked, bank tellers and many office secretaries are paid better than teachers. This shows how misguided our priorities are. Teachers are nurturing the next generation; we should find the best and brightest to teach. Teachers with curious minds and ability to discern the needs of one child to another; tell when there is a need to change the obsolete programs. The key here is to get bright people but pay them well.
Is standard seven all we can do? Is it? Based on the current pyramidal education system we have, majority of Tanzanians end with seven years of education. Think of what a standard seven graduate can do. Can he read instructions, understand and make a practical solution? Not as good as the next level above. We shouldn’t blame someone because they ended in standard seven; rather we should ask ourselves why they ended up with seven years of education? It is the system. I believe we should change our laws and make it mandate for everybody to have a form four certificate.
Personally, I believe even form four isn’t enough, but we should start here and later we will probably make it mandatory for every Tanzanian to have at least a high school diploma. Still, we can’t settle for standard seven. We are leaving so so many people behind. Four years in addition to seven makes a big difference. I understand this sounds too ambitious and expensive. Well, how about eliminating 112 specials seats and presidential appointees in the parliament? Think of how much money this will save in the next five to ten years. I know how unpopular this suggestion is, but if we want real changes some people will be affected and we need start with ineffective areas. This will not be about the victimized but rather about the victims.
Let me conclude by saying that school shouldn’t be just a place to go obtain a piece of paper and come back. It should rather be a place to teach us on how to change our environment and make the world a better place to live for us and the next generation. Thus, we should vigorously support the effort to revitalize the system as the matter has no ideology but rather based on the simple fact that without proper education the next Tanzanian generation is doomed. It is expected of us.
This is the beginning of my long writing; there are so many questions I didn’t touch. I hope you will give the chance to converse them in my next article.
Mungu Ibariki Tanzania
Charles Mukuru
chmukuru@yahoo.com
I agree with all your points but have you ever thought how teachers manage their lives without receiving salaries?
ReplyDeleteMany of them own nice cars and afford to booze everyday.The situation is simple, do not teach during class.W hen the poor students want to pass exams they have to have private tuition.This is where they make money.I am not condemning all the teachers,because we still have many very good ones still trying their bast.You also mentioned about not practically trained to face the world.They are made to go to school with a broom and a watering can since primary school, the poor souls are also forced to sell mandazis and chapattis made by their teachers.Are we training them to be sweepers and gardeners?We are committing a grave sin in the name of self reliance.
Ingawa nakubaliana na wazo zima la urekebishaji wa mfumo wetu wa kielimu, lakini pia sielewi kwa nini mada kama hizi huwa haziandikwi kwa kiswahili. Baadhi yetu tunachanganywa na malengo ya mwandishi kama ni "either Tanzanization of or education systems or John mashakanisation of blog ya jamii"
ReplyDeleteThe major problem of our education system is first of all language of instruction and secondly, an oudated/ out of fashion curriculumn inherited from colonial era. It is not enough to make form four education a mandatory one if we must continue embracing our present system of education.
ReplyDeleteIt does not make any sense using swahili as a media of instruction in primary schools and suddenly change everything to english in secondary schools onwards. If we can recall a famous swahili saying "samaki mkunje angali mbichi"
Prior to all, we must solve the problem of language, either opt. for swahili from kindergarten to the university or english from kindergarten to the university. Having work on language barrier, then we can think of moving ahead to reviewing our curriculum and other important inputs necesarry for transforming our education system making it productive and viable one.
Charles,
ReplyDeleteShukrani kwa kutuletea huu mjadala. Ila, ingawa najua baadhi wameshaona zile ripoti za Uwezo/Twaweza, itakuwa vizuri watu wengi zaidi wakipitia angalau muhtasari tu ili kujua kwa undani nini hasa kinachotokea.
Ripoti ninayozungumzia inapatikana hapa:
http://vijana.fm/2010/09/23/are-our-children-learning-an-uwezo-report/
Ahsante kaka kwa maoni hayo,nimeguswa na hilo kila mtanzania iwe haki yake kufika kidato cha nne
ReplyDeletejamani msaada tutani kupitia humu humu ua wa elimu... naomba maana ya neno 'wahenga' kwa Kiingereza.
ReplyDeleteNastuka kidogo, naona kama haya ni maandishi ya John Mashaka, jinsi alivyoanza. John Mashaka, Charles Mukuru, Prof. Nyang'oro, Prof Mbele rudini nyumnani hacheni longolongo
ReplyDeleteMukuru thank you for writing the article the best way you could. It is true that there's no one person can reform our not so good education system. most of what you pointed out are right on.
ReplyDeleteHowever, you may have misrepresented few facts. one microsoft co founder Mr. Bill Gates and Dell Founder Michael Dell did come out the way they did because of USA good education system! if anything, the bad USA education system made them succeed the way they did. If I remember their History correctly thse gettlemen did even graduate from College. the education system in their era was alligned to what they were interested in doing (studying) and thus they rebelled the system and against all odds they became who they are today. the same could said for Mr Steve Job the founder of Apple Computers.
Mr. Steve Job had to drop out from college so as he can free to study what he was interested in! so to say the least Steve Job, Bill Gates and Michael Dell are not the results of good USA education system. what I think propelled them to such height is the American market economy in general.
The fact that Tanzanians are studying abroad, I think is a good thing because they are going to bring the best out of every country they have studied in. their educational experiences they gain from those country can only enrich and improve Tanzania's and not the other way around.
Mwandishi kalonga mambo ya maana ila nashindwa kuelewa kwa nini aliamua kufanya hivyo katika lugha ya kigeni. Mwandishi mwenyewe amenena kwamba wengi wanaishia kupata elimu ya msingi ambayo amesema haiendani na mazingira ya sasa.
ReplyDeleteMwandishi unaamini kwamba kwa kuwa wengi walipata elimu hafifu ya msingi basi hawapaswi kushiriki katika hii changamoto uliyoitoa ya watu kutafakari namna ya kufanya mfumo wetu wa elimu uwe bora zaidi? Au wadau kwa ujumla mnaamini kwamba uzito wa hoja unapimwa kwa lugha iliyotumika kuiwasilisha?
Nawasilisha.
JOHN MASHAKA anavuruga lugha yetu ya asili; YAANI KISWAHILI. ARUDI MUZUMBE AKOSEMEE UCHUMI
ReplyDeleteI like the point behind the article. Inawezekana tutaongelea kiswahili au kingereza, still the fact remains we got reform our colonial edn system
ReplyDeleteWe Makuru, form 4 yetu ni sawa na high school. Kwenda form 5 na 6 ni kupotezeana muda kwa sababu elimu ya form 5 na 6 ni sawa sawa kabisa ni miaka 2 ya mwanzo ya college au university. System ya Tanzania inawafanya watu kusoma college mara mbili(form 5 na 6), kwa sababu kama nilivyosema, miaka 2 ya mwanzo ya college ni sawa na miaka 2 ya form 5 na 6. Ndio maana ukiwa na elimu ya form 4, university za nje (U.S.) zinatoa admission kwa kuwa zinajua form 4 ya Tanzania ndio high school ambayo next level ni college/university. Kama kuna cha kurekebisha, form 5 na 6 ZIFUTWE ili watu waipoteze muda.
ReplyDeleteThanks for highlighting the negative parts of the Tanzanian education system. I hope this will atleast initiate a discussion of what needs to be done to change the course of our education system. It has failed our youngsters misearably. For more discussions on the Tanzanian education system visit: www. habari-za-kibogoji.com
ReplyDeleteThanks
Nakubaliana an mdau hapo juu kuhusu Form v and VI. Haisaidii chochote zaidi ya kupoteza muda. Nilikwenda marekani baada ya form IV na kukubaliwa. Haina haja ya kupoteza muda, serikali futeni hio miaka miwili na vyio vyetu viweze kuchukua wanafunzi zaidi. Naona labda wanafanya hivi kwa kuwa hamna nafasi ya wanafunzi vyuo vya Bongo.
ReplyDeletewazo langu hapa leo ni kuwa mchangiaji anayesema waandishi eti kama mashaka, charles mukuru, prof nyangoro, prof mbele warudi nyumani waje kufanya nini? kuna mchangiaji mmoja sijui anaitwa dr shayo siku aliahidi kuwa anarudi nyumbani, na kweli amerudi lakini hasikiki? nawaombeni mwanablog ya jamii anayejua nitaweza kumpata wapi au mwenye number yake ya simu ningeshukuru aiweke katika hii blog ya jamii ili niweze kuwasiliana naye.
ReplyDeleteNikiwa kama mwanachama wa TANU, na hatimaye CCM, ningependa kukutana au kuongea na huyu kijana kwa mazungumzo.
Naomba msaada wenu kwa hili
Makuru, ni mchango mkubwa unafanya kwa kuanzisha mjadala kuhusu elimu.
ReplyDeleteMimi, ningependa kuhoji pia iwapo hata hiyo elimu inayodhamiriwa kutolewa, je inapatikana inavyostahili? Je, wanafunzi wamejifunza kitu chochote huko darasani? Wazazi nao, wanafuatilia kile watoto wamesoma?
Kwa maoni yangu, nachelea kila mmoja asibaki kulaumu. Twahitaji kuchukua hatua, naamini kabisa, pale wazazi watakapoanza kufuatilia kwa makini kile watoto wanachojifunza, wataitaka serikali kufanya mabadiliko ya kweli.
kwa sasa, inaonekana, wakwasi na watunga sera hukaa kwenye hoteli zenye viyoyozi na kupanga sera ya kumwelimisha mtoto aliyeko mabondekuinama, ambako wao hufika kwa siku kadhaa tu, wakiwa tayari wamelipwa per diem, na kisha wakaondoka na kutoa maamuzi kwa niaba ya watu wale.
Imefika wakati, wazazi waitake serikali kufanya mabadiliko.