New education policy eyes English-medium schools

THE Ministry of Education and Vocational Training has
confirmed that it is set to undertake a major overhaul of
the education sector by introducing English-medium
primary schools.
The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Prof Sifuni
Mchome, told the ‘Daily News’ on Wednesday that in
principle the government was ready to try the new
system which would be well elaborated in the new
Education and Training Policy currently in its final
stages.
 
He said the curricula for English-medium schools were ready but the ministry was still studying how best they could be included and implemented in the new policy.

“We have already gathered a lot of views on the matter and we think the system can be implemented in some few select areas, depending on the preparations and general educational infrastructure,” he said.
 
He said some local government authorities had shown the desire to introduce English-medium primary schools and that the ministry would guide and supervise them accordingly.
 
Prof Mchome said the coming of the new Education Policy would come with a lot of new changes in the education system which would witness many of the current practices being phased out.
 

NGO helps 230 school children

Over 230 pupils and students from disadvantaged families have received school necessities worth 80m/- from a Bunda based NGO dubbed Zinduka.

The school necessities which were given by the NGO through a sponsorship from a US based organisation dubbed Project Zawadi include school fees, uniforms, books, exercise books, pens, school bags, pencils, socks and other materials.

“The organisation is pleased with the job it has been doing in the past 11 years since its establishment,” said Max Madoro, Zinduka’s Director when handing over the school material and cash.

According to Madoro, the NGO has more than 100 students in different universities and other higher learning institutions who are being sponsored by the organization in terms of tuition fees and other necessities.

Tablet donation ushers in new era for schools

A STUDENT admires a tablet donated by the United States-based Opportunity Education Foundation (OEF) at Nyamisati in Rufiji District, Coast Region, on Monday as the Chairperson of WAMA Foundation, First Lady Salma Kikwete and OEF Chair Foundation Joe Ricketts look on.


A NEW era dawned in Tanzania's digital education landscape on Monday when a programme that aims at providing secondary school students with tablets pre-loaded with educational materials was launched.

The programme’s ultimate goal is to provide each secondary school student in the country with a tablet to enable them access educational materials electronically.

It will be implemented by the government and an American NGO -- Opportunity Education Foundation (EOF).

Implementation will begin with a pilot phase in 10 secondary schools on Tanzania Mainland and
Zanzibar, which will involve provision of about 1,100 tablets pre-loaded with Science, Mathematics,
Geography and History materials for Form Two students.

Each Form Two student in those schools will get one tablet, according to Tablet Manager from the foundation's office in Tanzania, Ms Sandra Tetty.

The donation makes Tanzania the first country in the world to receive the tablets under the EOF educational support programme, which earmarks 34 countries around the globe.

Launching of the programme involved handing over of 61 tablets to WAMA Nakayama Girls Secondary School at Nyamisati in Rufiji District by OEF Founder, Mr Joe Ricketts.

They were received by the Minister for Education and Vocational Training, Dr Shukuru Kawambwa and WAMA Chairperson, Mama Salma Kikwete. Mr Ricketts pledged a further donation of tablets for the entire school.