PM: Educational materials to go digital

 Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda

THE government now intends to digitalise all school books and other paperbased educational materials in a move to do away with dated physical reading manuscripts and embarking onto ebooks.

Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda stated here that the country’s educational system must go digital because it would make it easier for both students and teachers in Tanzania to access available reading and teaching materials on convenient and modern platforms such as personal computers, tablets and even smartphones.

Mr Pinda explained that the move will also include establishing a giant national digital library and archives that can be accessed from practically anywhere in the country.

Weruweru: We'd like our O'Levels back please

Moshi. Weruweru Secondary School, which marked its Golden Jubilee yesterday, wants the government to reverse its order to phase out ‘O’ levels in all high schools.

The school’s administrators and former headmistresses said the decision, taken in 2007, was counter-productive and could have led to a drop in the performance of the school in national examinations.

Maria Kamm, the longest serving headmistress, said during the climax of the celebrations yesterday that ‘O’ levels were critical in moulding students.

She told Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda, who was the chief guest, that scrapping Form 1 to IV at the school she taught in for 22 years may have led to the drop in its performance in recent years.

Ms Kamm, who is one of only five headmistress the school had in its 50-year history, said the school fared well in the national examinations in the 20 years it had only ‘O’ level students.

The situation remained more or less the same from the 1980s, when Form V and VI were added and Ms Kamm is concerned about the school’s national ranking. 

Weruweru was established in 1963 by the Roman Catholic Church with the support of the Assumption Sisters from the United Kingdom. The government took it over in 1970.

In 1984, the school had to be expanded to accommodate Form V and Form VI students, raising the number of students at any one time to an all-time high of 1,200.

In 2007, ‘O’ level classes were phased out following a government directive that schools with ‘A’ level students should ditch Form I-IV classes. The move affected other public schools countrywide.

Ms Flaviana Msuya and Ms Anna Devotha Sambaya, the headmistresses from 1993 to 2001 and 2001 to 2009 respectively, suggested that if the government could not revert to the old order, it should reconsider Weruweru’s case.

Similar sentiments came from other speakers, mainly former students Asha Rose Migiro, Dr Mary Nagu and Ambassador Mwanaidi Maajar, during the well-attended event.

But the deputy minister for Education and Vocational Training, Mr Philipo Mulugo, said the government phased out ‘O’ levels in all high schools after the rapid rise of the former.

Some 12,757 girls have gone studied at the school, which has 53 teaching staff currently. Three of the headmistresses have been former students.

TEA, Total Tanzania, support Dar schools

Tanzania Education Authority (TEA)

The Tanzania Education Authority (TEA) has signed a three-year pact with Total Tanzania Limited to provide desks to primary schools in Dar es Salaam municipals.

The support is meant to boost government's efforts in implementing the Big Results Now Initiative which need to see the country transforms to middle-income economy.

Speaking in Dar es Salaam yesterday at the launch of the project Assistant Director for Primary Schools, Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, Sara Mlaki said that the pact has come up at the right time when there is a huge shortage of desks in primary schools forcing some pupils to sit on the floor.

Students make pesticide from husks

Dar es Salaam. Two students at Moshi based Maua Seminary have developed a potentially low-cost pesticide for cereal crops using rice husks.

Newton Mshanga and Francis Shirima, studying at Form Two and Form Three respectively, have managed to develop pesticides from paddy husks when engaged in their joint science project at school.

“We came up with an idea after seeing crops in the school farm devastated by pests,” said Mr Shirima.

The duo were in the city this week to participate in an exhibition which brought together science students from 60 secondary schools.

The competition, which was held during the last two days also involved over 120 pupils and was meant to encourage them apply scientific methods in finding solutions to problems in their surroundings.

UK visa system to benefit Tanzanians

Dar es Salaam. Due to customer demand from businessmen and students who wish to travel on short notice to the United Kingdom, the British High Commission yesterday launched a new fast-track visa application system.

The fast-track system would be optional for Tanzanians who wish to study in the UK for business, studying and a visit and would cost an additional fee of £100 (about Sh250,000). 

Tanzanians lead other East Africans in accessing visas to the UK. Last year 4,067 Tanzanians were granted visas to the UK out of 5,214 applications.

The British High Commissioner, Ms Dianna Melrose, said visas applied through the fast-track system would be processed within five days or less unless there were problems with the application in which case the high commission would notify the applicants.

“This priority service will help us achieve the objectives of our new UK/Tz prosperity partnership to increase trade and investment. It will support Tanzania’s development and generate prosperity and employment for both countries,” said the High Commissioner.

She noted the visa service was flexible and responsive to needs. She said every individual applying for a visa was different and the high commission wanted to ensure it provided a range of services to meet varying needs.

“However the normal immigration rules still apply, this does not assure that the applicant will be granted the visa,” she said, adding that the move meant to strengthen the relationship between the two countries.

On whether there were any plans to start issuing visas in Tanzania, Ms Melrose said the initiative to process them in Kenya was meant to cut down on costs.

Teachers’ boycott puts students in deep uncertainty

A guardian accompanies students travelling back to school yesterday. The start of third term is uncertain for government-aided schools because teachers have said they will not work unless government increases their salaries. PHOTO BY GEOFFREY SSERUYANGE  

Kampala. Students in public schools can expect a rugged start to the third term today after the national teachers union insisted its members would boycott classes despite a government plea that the strike be called off.

The teachers union announced the strike last week after government failed to find money to effect a 20 per cent pay increment although State authorities insist there is still room for dialogue.

In an interview on Saturday, Education minister Jessica Alupo said she expects the teachers to turn up in class today, adding that further action would only be taken depending on the opening day events.

“We expect that all teachers will report to their duty stations on Monday. Ministry of Finance has already sent capitation grant to schools to enable them start. In case they insist on their planned strike, I have decided to wait until that time,” Ms Alupo said.

All set for Grade Seven national examinations

The Deputy Minister for Education and Vocational Training, 

Mr Philipo Mulugo.

AS Standard Seven National Examinations begin on Wednesday, the number of girls sitting for the exams is more than that of boys. 

Likewise, the government plans to introduce standard two national examinations to address issues of students completing primary education while they can't read and write.
 
Addressing journalists, the Deputy Minister for Education and Vocational Training, Mr Phillip Mulugo, said that out of 868,030 registered to sit for the national examinations, 455,925 are girls while 412,105 are boys.
 
"The Standard Seven examinations will be conducted for two days, on the 11th and 12th of this month and subjects to be tested on are English, Kiswahili, Science, Mathematics and domestic Sciences," the Deputy Minister added.

He said that a total of 844,810 pupils will sit for the examination in Kiswahili, out of which 400,335 are boys and 444,475 being girls.
 
Those sitting for the examinations in English language are 22, 535, out of which 11,430 are boys while girls constitute 11, 105. 

Enrolment rate in Tanzanian universities still low

Professor Mayunga Nkunya

The Executive Secretary for the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) Professor Mayunga Nkunya has said that Tanzania still lags behind in university students’ enrollment rate compared to other East African countries.

Professor Nkunya made the observation early this week in an interview during the second East African Community university students’ debates on EAC integration organized by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the German agency for international development.

Professor Nkunya said in spite of the government’s attempts to increase the number of students enrolled in universities, there is a need to review the programs to increase students’ confidence and professionalism after completing their studies. That would enable them to tune themselves better to the labour market in East Africa and beyond.

Vocational training centres called on to produce experts

Dr Adelhelm Meru, Director General of Economic Processing Zone Authority (EPZA)
 
Higher learning institutes and vocational training centres in Tanzania have been advised to venture into teaching professions which are currently not offered in the country to create employment base and reduce costs of hiring foreign experts.

The Director General of Economic Processing Zone Authority (EPZA), Dr Adelhelm Meru gave that advice when talking to journalists yesterday in Dar es Salaam, when briefing them on some of development projects registered by EPZA for the past six years.
 
“We lack experts in extractive industry…those who cut and polish gemstones, and as a result the country relies heavily on foreign expertise,” he said.

Govt still owes teachers 8.4bn/-

Between December 2012 and April this year, the government has recorded at least 8.4bn/- worth of arrears not related to wages entitled to some 12,245 teachers.

Conceding to the debt, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PMORA-LG) responsible for education Kassim Majaliwa yesterday told the House that the government is yet to pay the outstanding claims.