The Historical Development of the Educational System of Tanzania And How It Works Today - Essay Example

Tanzania received an independent status in 1961, which brought about a change in the social, economic and the political environment. This necessitated mass education without compromising on the local needs and wants. The British had merely concentrated on improving the peasant production so that the peasants could gradually fit into a civilized world. After the Second World War, the British initiated the capitalist movement in the hope that mass education would stimulate the community development. Literacy provided was only to the extent that farming would increase. Post independence, the situation changed to a great deal, in which Julius Nyerere had a very significant role to play. This essay would examine the changes in the educational system, the contribution of Nyerere, the positive and negative aspects of Swahili, and the importance of English in the Tanzania educational system. Since Tanzania’s independence in 1961, education was largely financed by the central government but public spending on education declined over time. During the first half of 1970s, government had allocated about 17 percent for education but this dropped to about 11 percent by 1994 (Lassibelle et al., 2000). After independence, mass education for self reliance and social transformation was given importance. Priorities changed after 1982 as functional literacy was found to be insufficient. Slight growth was observed in enrolment in schools immediately after independence but it again declined. Harsh economic realities called for detailed analysis of the situation. Parents were unable to meet the cost of education and the girls were the first to be deprived of education. While the gross enrollment in 1980 was 98 percent, it had declined to below 70 percent in 1990 (Riddell, 2003). By 1999, the net enrolment rate had declined to 46.7 percent. Schools experienced shortages of classrooms, desks, study materials and even of teachers. Focus then shifted to quality education from mass education. Government encouraged private bodies to impart secondary education. Households and communities, including local development agencies like District Education Trust Funds, helped mobilize resources to build and run schools. The education reforms began in 1995. the role of the government changed from the key role to that of a facilitator in providing education. In early 1997, Tanzania Government developed a Basic Education Master Plan (BEMP) to guide development in basic education (Report, n.d.). Primary education is defined as a basic fundamental right. To encourage education, free primary education was introduced in Tanzania in 2001. With the hope of enrolling all 7-13 year old by 2006, the Primary Education Development Plan (PEDP) was launched in 2001. While 25 percent of the recurrent budget was allocated to education, 62 percent was reserved for primary education. The PEDP program launched with the purpose of expanding enrolment, improvement in the quality of teaching and learning materials, brought the gross enrolment rate to 100.4 percent. Along with this, positive changes in the overall facilities in the classrooms, number of teachers, improved curriculum were clearly visible. This widened the overall access to secondary education. At the same time, it also reduced the number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds from taking the secondary education. Schools started competing for the same pool of teachers. The government used quota system for enrolment in secondary schools, depending upon geography and gender. It also monitored the standards maintained by private schools. Private schools were funded through fees and operated within the discipline set by the market. Their ability to attract students depended upon their success in increasing student learning. Most students entering the secondary schools did not have the necessary skills to derive the benefit of secondary education. The National Education Trust Fund (NETF), a nongovernmental association, was established in 1900 under the World Bank-financed Education Planning and Rehabilitation Project. This helped to provide small grants to private schools (Lassibille). Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, the first President of Tanzania, laid a lot of emphasis on education after independence. He believed that education should encourage self-reliance as well as cooperation with others. His views on education were a great shift from the colonial focus on education. Emphasis was laid on practical aspects. The expatriate teachers were gradually replaced by Tanzanians. The schooling at each level was complete in itself rather than being a base for the next level. At the time when President Nyerere took over as the President, Tanzania was one of the world’s poorest countries. Foreign aid was reduced and it was under heavy foreign debts. He set out a vision and the objectives of socialism in the Arusha Declaration in 1967 in which the focus was on rural development (Infed, 1998). He wanted to build a society in which all had equal rights and oppurtunities. There was a commitment to raise the living standards. His focus on self-reliance and human development brought about a radical improvement in the education system. Yusuf Kassam (1995: 250) classified Nyerere’s educational philosophy under two categories – one was education for self-reliance and the other included adult education, lifelong learning, and education for liberation (cited by Infed). Nyerere did not believe in the formal education system alone, which only a privileged few could attend and derive benefit from. People were judged and employed based on such formal education. This alienated the masses and hence he set out his vision in ‘Education for Self Reliance’. He proposed the new education system which was totally oriented to rural life. In fact, he gave importance to both formal and informal education. Students worked along with teachers in productive activities and participated in the decision-making process. Examinations were not given much importance and schooling would start at the age of seven so that by the time the child left school, he would be self-reliant and mature. Primary and secondary school students had to work in villages to solidify the links bet the rural and the urban people. At the secondary level, students had to participate in practical projects in their chosen field of study and failure to do so would result in lower grades. These policies could not be implemented due to lack of resources but primary education was enforced. Even in adult education, he helped people to make their own decisions. He was of the firm opinion that man alone can liberate and develop himself. Education should bring about physical and mental freedom. In other words, development is for Man, of Man and by Man. He felt that any learning should be oriented towards living a better life. His practical approach towards better living brought results. Farming workshops became an important part of the process of education. A pilot scheme for adult education began in 1968, which was followed by a broader campaign assisted by UNESCO (ASC, n.d.). These programs not only promoted skills like literacy in Swahili but also concentrated on principles of hygiene, agricultural techniques, crafts, basic mathematics, and the principles of UJAMAA (family hood) socialism. Today the education system of Tanzania includes seven years of primary school, followed by four years of secondary schooling leading to O-level examination in nine subjects. Two more years of education sees them through to A-level in another nine subjects. At the end of the thirteenth year, students can take the Advanced Certificate examination, which is recognized all over the world. Each course of studies follows a standardized, national syllabus, followed by national examinations. Based on the assessment of these national examinations, the students pursue studies at the next level. While primary education is supposed to be free, there are not enough schools to provide education for all. Besides, parents are unable to provide for uniforms, stationery and transport for their children. Since there is no maximum age limit for entry level, children in Standard One can range from five to sixteen years although the average is seven to eight years (Povich, 2003). Secondary education is not free. Tanzania’s education system follows the bilingual policy which requires the children to learn both Swahili and English. At the primary level, the medium of instruction is Swahili and English is merely taught as a second language. It is the medium of instruction at the primary level, as a compulsory subject at the secondary level and optional at the tertiary level. The Tanzanian government has been able to control the use of language at various levels. The introduction of Swahili as the national language did not neglect English in any way. While Swahili is used at the primary level and adult education, English is used at the secondary and tertiary level. English is not necessary at the primary level or even for adults who want to live and work in Tanzania. It is required for those who wish to receive further education overseas. English links Tanzania with the rest of the world through technology, commerce, and administration. Having Swahili as the medium of instruction at the primary level has its own advantages and disadvantages. Through Swahili, the students keep in touch with the local culture, values, and heritage. Hence, stress has been laid on learning Swahili. The biggest hurdle that students face with Swahili being the medium of instruction at the primary level is when suddenly from Form I they are expected to be proficient in English, a language that had been taught merely as a second language at the primary level. The core subjects of O-level study include English, Swahili, Mathematics, Civics, History, Geography, Chemistry, Biology, and Physics, and all of these are taught in English. Social life and society is woven around some special language. Swahili is linked with the town life, local trade and culture; English is linked with status, higher education, government service or high status jobs. The languages take on the complex of emotions and even prestige. English being an internationally accepted language becomes a symbol of status at a later stage and is used to meet political ends. At a certain stage in life, people use Swahili to express their affinity with the local culture even though they may not be using the language regularly. At the same time, research in any field is invariably carried out in English and Swahili has done very little in any such field. For the country to develop and be at par with other countries of the world, foreign language most commonly used has to be a part of the curriculum. Tanzania, while giving importance to Swahili has not overlooked the importance of English. Stress had been laid on education that brought about confidence, self-reliance and liberated the people of Tanzania. As such the objectives of education were not to compete at the global level but to be self-sufficient. This was one of the chief reasons why English was not insisted upon at the primary level. It is difficult to acquire skills in any language that has not been the primary language of instruction at the basic level. For those who had Swahili as the medium of instruction at the primary level, Swahili-English-Swahili dictionaries help them to study further but education at the secondary level, which is equivalent to the A-level of England, is not easy without having had English at the primary level. The elite, who are in a position to afford the cost of education in private schools, have English as their medium of instruction. The combination subjects at the secondary level are covered in greater depth and is taught at an accelerated pace. The grading is different; the examinations are far more rigorous than the O-levels. This itself implies that very few make it to the A-levels and to a large extent it is the language that becomes a barrier, apart from finance. In the recent years, the education system in Tanzania has been attracting a lot of attention. Those who are able to afford the private schools in Tanzania send their children and then overseas for further education. Those that are unable to afford, find consolation that at least their children are receiving some sort of education. One of the main reasons that education system in Tanzania has not made any headway is perhaps the traditional notion of teaching that presupposes that learning is merely listening (Senzige & Sarukesi, 2003). This normally happens when there is lack of teachers and teaching resources. This situation can normally be found in the government schools and not in the private schools. This could perhaps be the reason behind the lack of English skills among the Tanzanian population. There is no initiative amongst the students to learn something new effectively. The Tanzanian education system is inadequate to meet the needs and the challenges that face the country today. There are tens of millions of Tanzanians who are left behind at some stage of schooling. The Arusha Declaration did not adequately execute the policies that were framed. This was an impediment to the development process. The progress and achievement in the field of education has not been as expected. Socio-economic reforms are not enough for a national long-term development. A national vision alone can help mobilize resources towards attainment of goals. Today the vision of the government of Tanzania is to have a Tanzanian who is well educated, knowledgeable, skilled, and culturally mature to handle national and international challenges in various political, and social-economic fields by 2025 (MOEC, 2005). The 21st century brings with it challenges in all fields like technology, communication, transport and competition. The government and the people alike have to find ways and means to combat the obstacles that impede growth and development. They have to share a vision and with this in view development vision 2025 has been set. Institutions, both private and government, civil societies, cooperative societies, village groups have all to work hand in hand towards effective implementation. This calls for an educated society with an urge to move ahead. The primary education is insufficient to alleviate poverty. It has to be relevant and include practical skills. Private investment is necessary to foster a learning environment which would help in imparting both knowledge and technology. Even it is the agricultural sector, advanced technology can help reap the maximum benefits. The education sector has hitherto suffered due to poor resource allocation. External finance would be required to cover the shortfalls that would enable the government to fulfil its goals. The World Bank, the EU, the Netherlands, SIDA, JICA, Ireland Aid, GTZ, Finland, Norway, and CIDA are all contributing to the primary education sub-sector (Riddell). What is required is the recruitment and upgradation of teachers, trained administrative and financial managers to run the school, and empowerment of school committees. Complementary basic education today functions to absorb the absorb the out-of-school, over-age children but its role has to be enhanced. In nutshell, the challenge before the nation in order to fulfill its vision 2025 is quantitative expansion, qualitative improvement in education content, and a centralized approach. These will ultimately lead to a better quality of life or in the words of the government - it is envisioned that Tanzanians will have graduated from a least developed country to a middle-income country by the year 2025 with a high level of human development (TDV 2025). References: ASC (n.d.), East Africa Living Encyclopedia, 12 April 2006 Infed (1998), Julius Nyerere, lifelong learning and informal education, 12 April 2006 Lassibille et al., (2000), Expansion of Private Secondary Education: Lessons from Recent Experience in Tanzania.(Statistical Data Included)." Comparative Education Review 44.1 (Feb 2000): 1. British Council Journals Database. Thomson Gale. 11 April 2006 MOEC (2005), 12 April 2005 Povich M (2003), About Tanzania, 12 April 2006 Report (n.d.), Report to the Public on Student Crises on Higher Education In situations in Tanzania, 12 April 2006 Riddell A (2003), The Introduction of Free Primary Education in Sub-Saharan Africa , 12 April 2006 Senzige J P & Sarukesi K (2003), An Approach to ICT based school education in Tanzania, The Institute of Finance Management, Tanzania, 12 April 2006 TDV (2025), The Tanzania Development Vision 2025, Planning Commission, 12 aPRIL 2006 Read More