Tanzania has made large investments in basic education in keeping with its Millenium Development Goals. Today, the Government spends 1 in every 5 shillings of its budget on education.
Uwezo, meaning capability in Swahili, is an organization that has set out to assess student learning, starting with basic skills in literacy and numeracy. This is being done in an effort to see how much value has been created out of investments in Tanzanian education.
Uwezo have now conducted their first assessment: 42,033 children in 22,800 households spread over 38 districts were assessed.
A report has been released with the following conclusions:
- One in five primary school leavers cannot read Standard 2 level Kiswahili.
- Half the children who complete primary school cannot read in English.
- Only 7 in 10 primary school leavers can do Standard 2 level Mathematics.
- Urban based children perform better than rural based children.
- Girls do slightly better than boys.
- Children with educated mothers perform better.
Je, watoto wetu wanajifunza? Download and read the report here:
The launch event for this report took place today in Dar-es-Salaam. If you were there, feel free to use the commenting space below to share your experience and thoughts with our readers.
Related links:
- Uwezo: Conducting organization of this learning assessment
- Tanzania Education Network (TENMET): Where Uwezo is hosted
- Twaweza: Coordinator of Uwezo in East Africa
* UPDATE (22/9/2010)
The full report of this study is now available:
It is an important report – and kudos to twaweza for making it happen – but the links you give are not to the full report, but to a summary only. I have both English and Swahili summaries in front of me, along with the full report which oddly is not yet available on the uwezo or twaweza websites. That’s a pity, coz it’s very good.
Full report en-route and will be made available shortly. This is damning enough to start with.
I am not quite sure what to say at the moment. Will read it again and try to digest everything.
Nimepeleka hizi ripoti Jamii Forums, kwahiyo nategemea kupata maoni mengi.
Full report is now on the TEN/MET site
http://tenmet.org/public_html/index.php
Do read
Thanks Peter 🙂
This is a seminal research work that challenges the direction of Tanzania education policy. As we digest these numbers and as we continue to read the report. I paste below the ‘achievements’ that the current government boasts. I just wonder what their fascination is with increase of numbers of this and that, especially on head counts.
Mafanikio (2005-2010)
1. Kuongezeka kwa fursa ya utoaji wa elimu ya awali kwa kuhakikisha kuwa kila shule ya msingi ina darasa la Elimu ya Awali
– Uandikishaji katika elimu ya awali umeongezeka kutoka wanafunzi 638,591 kwa mwaka 2005 hadi 896, 146 mwaka 2010.(wav 445,867, was 450,279)
2. Kuongezeka kwa ubora wa Elimu
– Uandikishaji wa Wanafunzi katika shule za msingi umeongezeka kutoka wanafunzi 7,541,208 mwaka 2005 na kufikia 8,441,553 mwaka 2010
– Uwiano wa mwanafunzi katika darasa umeboreshwa kutoka 1:80 mwaka 2005 na kufikia 1:54 mwaka 2010
– Uwiano wa kitabu kwa mwanafunzi umeimarika kutoka 1:7 mwaka 2005 na kufikia 1:3 mwaka 2009
– Idadi ya walimu wa shule za Msingi imeongezeka kutoka 151,882 mwaka 2006 hadi 157,185 mwaka 2010
– Idadi ya shule za msingi imeongezeka kutoka 14,700 mwaka 2006 na kufikia 15,727 mwaka 2009
– Kuongezeka kwa uandikishaji wa wanafunzi wenye mahitaji maalum (walemavu) kutoka wanafunzi 18,982 mwaka 2005 hadi wanafunzi 27,422 mwaka 2009
3. Idadi ya wanafunzi wanaoendelea na na elimu ya sekondari imeongezeka
– Wanafunzi wanaomaliza elimu ya msingi na kuendelea na elimu ya sekondari wameongezeka kutoka wanafunzi 493,636 mwaka 2005 na kufikia wanafunzi 999,070 mwaka 2009
– Kuongezeka kwa wanafunzi wanaogharamiwa na serikali kutoka katika familia zenye kipato duni na yatima , kutoka wanafunzi 16,345 na kufikia wanafunzi 58,843 mwaka 2009
source: http://www.kikwete2010.co.tz/mafanikio/elimu/
@Joji I think the current focus is on access to education. But the work done by Uwezo begs the question, what does this *access* really mean? Does a child’s capability to attend school guarantee that he or she will attain knowledge and skills?
This is surely a damning report. 20% of std 7 leavers can’t read standard 2 kiswahili text? Half can’t perform in English, and a third can’t do basic mathematics. In fact I bet these numbers are modest, and it would be shocking to see a nation-wide survey (every region, including Unguja and Pemba).
So, how many of the Std 7 are therefore competent anyway for further studies?
Progress in education will never come automatically nor is it a spontaneous process just because certain physical ingredients are in place. It is only through well-thought and innovative installation of policies that we will see proper progress in this current perverse system. Forget about the archaic ideas of increasing numbers of buildings, teachers, or students.
It is ridiculous to hear people claiming success in increments of teachers, student enrolment, and building numbers. What if we check the census data fom 1998 to 2003 (to correspond those enroling for STD 1 in 2005 and 2010 respectively), are we not going to see the same an increment in the number of children born during this time? Will this number (the % increase of new-borns) be so much different from the % increase in enrolment between 2005-2010?
To put emphasis on poverty, since most of the rural kids come from very poor families, the ‘heaven’ in schools should involve rigourous training that leaves out no room for lax treament or breaks or mediocrity. Giving kids a constant work environment with less breaks alongside with an apt curriculum will create a sustainable learning experience. This is because there is a less likelihood for those kids to use after-school hours for studying/revision. Many go and help with house-hold duties (grazing cattle, searching firewood, preparing meals).
I like their proposed idea of performance-based incentives to educational institutions (shared between, teachers, distric administrators). It would be a great move if we start in that direction because it is evident teachers are not motivated.
Apart from incentives, care should be on recruitment and retention of teachers. Those teachers whose students year-after-year underperform should be on a ‘watch-list’, re-evaluated and should start attending development classes on teaching methods in a teachers college. The teacher could even pay part of the costs. And here the one responsible should actually be the headteacher. They should also be the ones taking responsibility for any underperformance.
The most surprising thing is that the ministry of education has yearly school assessments, where their assessors visit ‘all’ schools and check if all is in order. These assessors need to be re-assessed.
In addition. There need to be a reassessment of the language of instruction. If 50% of the children ready for secondary education cannot read STANDARD 2 English text, how are we to expect them to understand the Archimedes principle, or comprehend the Tanzanian history, or the mendelian laws of genetics as they continue to secondary school where all this is laid-out in English?
What about the issue of school meals? What about deworming programs? http://www.dewormtheworld.org/learn_07.html
I hear infestation with worms affect cognitive ability. In the rural areas children are highly likely to be exposed to schistosoma, hookworms, tapeworms, flukes etc.
It seems we are a nation of late-bloomers in everything we do. That is if we get to see the light.
kazi ipo. Hili suala la kupinga ubora kwa wingi wa shule zilizojengwa na idadi ya uandikishaji wa wanafunzi limekuwa ndio sera sasa.
Mimi ninaelewa kuwa, Serikali mpango wake wa sasa ni kuhakikisha kuwa watoto wengi wanapata nafasi na fursa ya kuwa na shule na kwenda shule. HIli sio jambo baya kabisa, kwani maendeleo hujengwa ngazi kwa ngazi. Kwani tungekuwa na shule chache na uandikishaji mdogo wa watoto, tungelalamika pia.
Hapo hapo, ninaelewa upande wa pili wa malalamiko juu ya ubora wa elimu wanayopewa watoto. Nadhani pande zote zina hoja nzuri.
Tatizo langu ni hili, na hili liende moja kwa moja kwa Mgombea urais wa CCM, Mh Jakaya Kikwete na takwimu zake za mashule mapya na idadi ya wanafunzi. Yeye kama yeye, inabidi ajisikie aibu kidogo, tena asingeshikilia bango hizo takwimu na kuzitumia kujigamba nazo. Kwanini nasema hivyo.
Kila siku hadithi ni hiyo hiyo, takiwmu takwimu, kila rais anajitetea kwa hoja hiyo hiyo ya kujengwa mashule zaidi na kuongeza idadi ya wanafunzi, jamani hiyo ndio sera? Hapo hapo, kama kila rais wa CCM akigusiwa kuhusu juhudi zake katika elimu anakimbilia takwimu na kujenga hoja hiyo hiyo kama rais aliyepita, inamaana Tanzania ya leo hatuna malengo zaidi ya kujenga mashule na kusheherekea ongezeko la idadi ya wanafunzi duni.
Hivi, kwani mpango wa kujenga mashule zaidi na kuongeza idadi ya wanafunzi haiwezi kwenda sambamba na mpango wa kuboresha elimu? Hii ni kama ya wajinga wachache ambao wanapinga matumizi ya condom na kuzungumzia abstinence kana kwamba kuzungumzia hayo maswala mawili pamoja hayawezi kwenda pamoja. Eti neno condom na abstinence hayawezi kuwa kwende sentensi moja, kama kuongeza mashule na kuboresha elimu hayawezekani kwenda sambamba.
Mheshimiwa Kikwete, na Mama Salma Kikwete hiyo hoja imepitwa na wakati, kwani mnachosema ni kuwa, uongozi huu na ongozi zilizopita, mmekuwa mnafanya kitu hicho hicho miaka nenda rudi. Kwanini wewe Mh. Kikwete usiwe na kitu pekee ulichokifanya ambacho ndio utambe nacho, manake hiyo hoja imetuchosha.
Asanteni
Hii ripoti inaweza ikawatoa watu wengi machozi. Inashtusha. Pia, nimesikitishwa zaidi na mwamko wa Watanzania kuhusu hili suala (au niseme uvivu wa kufuatilia); ripoti kama hii inaweza ikasababisha maandamano na migomo kwenye nchi kadhaa za Afrika. Lakini sijui hata Watanzania wangapi wameisoma na kuona upuuzi unaoendelea kwenye shule nyingi Tanzania — hasa za vijijini.
Tunategemea nini? Watu wanaoshabikia vyama (tawala na upinzani), ilani za uchaguzi zinasemaje? Mnajua kuwabana hao wanasiasa ili kutupa majibu ya maana? Bora kuwa na madarasa kila kona ya nchi na elimu bure kwa kila mtoto au kuwa na elimu ya uhakika ambao ina gharama zake?
Kwa kifupi tu (kwa ambao hamjasoma ripoti), ni wazi kuwa darubini inayotumiwa na wadau wa elimu Tanzania ina makengeza.
Mapinduzi yanahitajika haraka! Sana… La sivyo huu uvundo utakuja kuleta maafa nchini; ni bora kuwa na wasomi fukara wenye matatizo kuliko kuwa na mbumbumbu fukara wenye matatizo — hawa huwa wanafuata mkumbo kwasababu hawawezi kufikiria wenyewe!
Fikiria, hao wote wanaofeli au kumaliza shule bila zile zana muhimu wanakimbilia mijini, wakitegemea kupata ahueni maishani. Watafanya nini?
Wahusika, ni haki ya kila binadamu kupewa nafasi ya kujifunza kusoma na kuandika (na mambo mengine) ili ajiendeleze. Mnafanya makusudi au hamna ujuzi wa kuangalia mambo kwa kina? Yaani hatuwezi hata kuangalia nchi zinazofanya vizuri na “kugelezea”??
Nisingependa kurudia yaliyosemwa hapo juu…
Matatizo yanajulikana na jinsi ya kuyatatua tunajua. Ila kuna gharama kubwa; kifedha na wadau wa elimu kujitolea (yaani kuongeza juhudi zaidi ya maradufu).
Kuna tofauti ya mtu kufundishwa na mtu kujifunza.
Vipi, wadau wa elimu mbona kimya? Mko bize kufuatilia kampeni? Au kwasababu watoto wenu wanasoma shule za kimataifa kwahiyo hili sio tatizo lenu? Fikiria tena…