Tanzania government, through the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, has embarked on the implementation of the Big Result Now targets in the education sector set by a team of experts.
A statement issued by the ministry’s communication unit over the weekend noted that after the budget sailed through in the National Assembly, the ministry was now embarking on implementing targets set by the team of experts to improve the quality of education in the country.
Although school enrolment rates had increased, the quality of education was yet to follow similar trends. To reverse the trend in the shortest time possible, the team of exports had outlined a number of initiatives to be implemented, including school ranking and results transparency to improve engagement and accountability.
The communication unit pointed out that lack of accountability was one of the challenges facing the education system, adding that ranking all schools by examination results and making the ranking public would raise accountability and provide better visibility for all.
The ranking would be done according to the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) and Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (CSEE) results every year. Schools will be ranked on two different lists, one based on improvement since the previous year and the other based on actual performance.
The ministry would also start implementing school incentive schemes, both monetary and non-monetary, starting with the 2013 PSLE and CSEE exams with the aim of motivating schools to deliver better results.
The ministry is also implementing a 3Rs (reading, writing and arithmetic) assessment in grade II and teacher training to ensure students master basic skills in the early grades.
“For effective learning, the number of subjects taught in early grades must be reduced and the 3Rs assessment system will address the challenge of students moving up the grades ladder without mastering the basic skills of reading, writing and arithmetic,” the statement read in part.
By ROSE ATHUMANI, Tanzania Daily News