TANZANIA EDUCATION REFORM

By LEADER GENNIS Document Include ; -My Proposals -Action Plans -Objectives -Conclusion

LEADER GENNIS FOUNDATION

TANZANIA EDUCATION REFORM.

Monday, March 11, 2013 Written By Leader Gennis

On Feb-28-2013 Our President said shs Trillion tatu na bilioni 600 ni sawa na asilimia 24% ya budget yote ya serikali na hii ndio budget yetu ya elimu Tanzania.

While many countries around the world have reform their education to keep up with the new world challenges. Tanzania has no reason to fall behind if we are serious about building a strong society and achieve economic success. We must understand to compete in this world market economy education is the key. Im pleased to know that our government has dedicated 24% of its budget to Education. We have opportunity to achieve this success; all we need is commitment to our children future. The strength of Tanzania will be measured by opportunity we create for our children. I clearly understand our nation is facing many challenges today. But none is more pressing than our need for educational reform. Tanzania is very far and dangerously falling behind in education even compare to our neighbors like Kenya. The time has come to have realistic plans to reform our education. Lets not fail our children due to the lack of leadership. Its impossible to see how un-educated Tanzanian can be benefited from the foreign or domestic investments that our Nation desperately need. Its even harder for the investor to believe they can be benefited in our country if they cant find

qualifying individuals who can carry our responsibilities required. Thats why many investors feel the need to bring along their own employees. As a citizen and former student from Tanzania, I believe our Students and Teachers are being failed by the system that we have ignored for a while. I also believe what went wrong in the year 2012 form 4 exams, was not an accident that just happened. Lets face it; Most of our leaders and few people with money would rather spend money to take their children abroad for better Education. Some took their children even to our neighbor country Kenya. I remember my cousins used to go to Nairobi for education. And I used to see them more superior than me because they are studying abroad. What does Kenya offer in their education that Tanzania couldnt do? But the truth is we choose to ignore our education system for a long time. And this is where and when the problem starts. Another problem is the lack of Parents and Teachers Corporation. Our government must have better and affective strategies with his investment in education, we absolutely must commit to action leadership. This 24% of our budget is a lot of money to be wasted. I have several proposals to reform our education now. My Proposals: 1. While educating our children ultimately is in the hands of our nations Teachers, lets not forget that Parents and the whole community are also responsible. Every child deserves a well-qualified teacher. If we held teachers responsible for the future of our nation, then we have an obligation to start to treat them with the most respect and professional standards. This includes not only their salaries increase but also create an environment, which recognize and reward Teachers with bonuses that goes

along with the highest performance required by the standard of international education. If we cannot pay our teachers well, then lets at least give them better incentives benefits like other governments employees. Health benefits and financial loans advantages, since teachers are more likely to stay in their career for a long time. Government should structure a program to sponsor their loans. Other things like land or housing, travel bonuses, transportation just to name a few. Being a teacher should be a very attractive profession for some of the bright and passionate mind. And we must recognize Teachers from the young age and prepared them to lead. Embrace them with special recognition both from local and national government. With things like Teachers appreciation day, this day should be a national holiday. But not an off day, because we need teachers and students to celebrate this special day together at school, with honor and respect. I believe this will make a difference especially when elected officials from government, religion and tribes will come forward and specific honor and give their personal appreciations. The truth is every human need to feel appreciated for what they contribute to the society. And our teachers have not felt that for a long time. The most important role for teachers is to coach and guide students through the learning process, giving special attention to nurturing a student's interests and self-confidence. You can imagine if a teacher himself felt unimportant he or she cannot do well in coaching and guiding or giving special attention to a student and nurturing them to self-confidence. 2. -Parents must be involved with their children education by participating to school programs, working with teachers to identifying areas of improvement. Every

school must have Parent Teachers Association. PTA. This should be an organization recognize by the government but fully sponsored by individual schools with parents assistance no government funding. They will meet every month to discuss ways of helping schools with academics and additional financial needs by becoming creative in using community resources like local donations and activities that will generate money. Parents must realize that government funding to school may not always be enough even if we give 50% of our nation budget. Therefore we must work with schools to make sure we do our part as a community. Also discussing the goal of the school and ways of achieving that goal. Every school must have academic goal. This must be a mandatory and not optional. If a parent want the best for their children then he or she must get involve making sure that this will happen. Teachers and parents must not be strangers to each other. They must form an effective partnership that holds everyone accountable. This partnership is extremely important and necessary especially in early childhood learning. For education to be successful in our nation we need all of us. Teachers, Students, Parents, and Elected officials. Teaching and learning cant just occur in the classroom. Its an effort in every one of us, which will make a difference. Every single day parents number one priority must be to make sure children comes to school ready to learn by teaching them values like respect, personal responsibility, and discipline for teachers and others. 3. Our government must have very strong regulations of a zero tolerance to ensure the cost of education goes with the quality and international standard our children need. Educational funding is the only funding that must never

be misuse. We need to create an effective structure like a human skeleton, which will always produce a positive result in any area that we allocate funding. From the department of education directly to the student brain in the classroom. Making sure every student have access to schools that is closer to his or her resident. And all the human necessity like water and electricity can be found at school, clean and healthy environment that include food. Resources of time and money should be spread accordingly to the needs of facilities and local resources after received individual evaluation from the local officials. Schools can be redesigned to also serve as community centers that provide health and social services for families, as well as counseling and parenting classes. This will bring parents and community closer to our education, while help the government to save some money. The construction and renovation of every school should have great access to technology and multi purpose to serve as community centers. This may sound to be financially challenge for our nation economy, but we also must understand that the longer it takes for a student to get to school or the lack of necessity like water and electricity, books and poor classes environment, it affect the readiness of the students. So if we are serious about investing for the future then we must invest in our children. We do not need to continue offer licenses to open a bunch or private school that offer nothing but opportunities to the owners of these private school. However the Government must encourage and promote the opening of school, which offers special and specific education for the most gifted and talented of our children. Tanzania needs to start discover and empower the young gifted and talented minds in science and technology, math and leadership, social studies and public affairs. To

achieve these goals, our government must support and encourage private schools, which specialize in areas of studies that goes along with the demand of today world market and not just schools that teach better English. We also must consider some of foreign aid we receive and start strategize instead of getting only Financial support, Sometimes we get expertise through teaching, like having international program which will help our teachers both in academics and coaching ideas. We should also introduce students international exchange programs, which will target the most talented and gifted students of all Tanzanian. Instead of only wealthy and elected officials children. We must update our education curriculum to reflect on the demand of the international community while preserving some of our culture and tradition values. 4. Students and teachers relationship must improve to have the highest trust among each other and not fear or intimidation. I remember how I was intimidated by some of my teachers and sometimes I was completely fearful so I will study and do things not because I understand the important of it, but because my teacher was MKALI we even give bad nick names to those kind of teachers. We must encourage a maximum and daily person-to-person interaction of activities and dialogues with high level of discipline and respect. Both from teachers to students and students to teachers. Our Students and teachers need to establish a study method from the early age to go beyond the textbook study of complex topics based on real-world issues with introduction of Project-based class work. This should be more demanding than traditional book-based instruction, where students may just memorize facts. This is very crucial, especially in early education. Young students must start to trust their

teachers and not fear them. Teachers can spend less time lecturing and more time mentoring students as individuals and tutoring them in areas in which they need help or seek additional challenges. With parents involvement in knowing whats going on at school daily. Our students and teacher must work as a team. This relationship must be build out of respect and commitment to success. The government must have very tougher laws to make sure no teacher who will take advantage of this relationship especially into sexual manners and any other misleading behaviors by both Students and Teachers or any member of the school. We also must have tougher laws against those adults who use money to entice our young girls at school. Teaching code of conduct must always be reviewed and updated, teachers skills should be continually sharpened, with time to take courses, attend conferences, and share lessons and tips with other teachers, online and in person. 5. In our early education from primary level we need to incorporate and introduce exams that test the actual students skills and performance capacity. In creativity and sports, rather than his or her ability to repeat or reproduce things. Assessment should be expanded beyond simple paper test scores, to instead provide a detailed individual and group projects recorded continuously into profile of student strengths and weaknesses. By doing this Teachers, Parents, and individual students can closely monitor academic progress and use the assessment to focus on areas that need improvement. Tests should be an opportunity for students to learn from their mistakes, retake the test, and improve their scores. Education at primary level, Student works should be presented to audiences beyond the

teachers, this including parents and community groups. For awards and recognition ceremonies at school. From every school level, every class, every year, we must have end of the year project that students will have a chance to use the skills they've learned in the classroom. This would effectively serve as a progress report, together with paper exams. If a student can apply what he or she had been taught in the classroom effectively to his or her end of the year project. Then this student has learned what he was supposed to learn. We need to implement this from standard one. Working with Parents, Teachers must encourage those unique skills and interests of the students, instead of discourage them. Its important for student to understand what they learn and not just knowing. So the end of the year projects is to help them apply what theyve learned in class. Early reading and writing is not only teachers responsibility but its a parent responsibility as well. Local officials from government, religion and other organizations must be on the front line to make young students understanding the important of learning. Using rewarding program to Students, their Teachers and Schools. These organizations can affectively and positively improve our education. Not only by donate money and supplies, but also have their leaders and engineers visit school for educational reasons. We need to have careers days in school, and I suggest this should be like every Friday. We invite community professional, like nurses, doctors, policemen, local leaders, business man and woman to visit schools and talk with children. Companies can create challenges by giving students certain projects. I believe this Cooperative learning develops social and emotional skills, providing a valuable foundation for their lives as workers, family members, and good citizens in early age.

6. Our communities must maintain a close relationship with school and students around the area. This can be achieved by forming charity organization, to support in security, finance and necessary school needs that can easily be found locally in order to provide educational friendly environment. Our students must feel safe at schools, they go there to learn and nothing else. Its a community responsibility together with parents and government to guarantee safety of our students. When students get parents and community support, students learn more. Local community can always play a major role in improving our education if elected official in the areas will direct resources that needed like security, better food, water, clean and healthy environment, sports activities, competitive events like performance, invite certain officials from domestic and foreign government to visit, speak and participate in events. We can even use tourists who will be interested to visit our schools particularly those who come in groups like academics and religious groups or any other groups that we believe might bring positive influence to our schools and this will be tourists option if they like to do so. These groups expose students and teachers to the world of work through school-to-career programs and internships. Schools should enlist professionals to act as instructors and mentors for students. Tanzanian most successful individuals or organizations can adopt school to mentor, even if it means to have schools named after them, as long as it will represent and share the values our education needs. Through all of this, leaders of the local community with parents and teachers will need to be creative in finding ways to generate independent financial support for the schools. Every school should have and inform

parents, the school's educational goals, and the importance of high expectations for each child, and ways of assisting with homework and classroom lessons.

Action Plan 7. The only way to guarantee better education and bright future for our children is to put students at the center of this education reform and make a commitment to invest in classroom priorities that support students learning and understanding the important of education in their lives. Why are we in school Government officials, parents teachers and every student need to understand the answer for this simple question. By ensure our classes are filled with qualified, caring and committed teachers. To achieve this we must do the following; - Our vision as a nation to build a stronger economy must have actions that focus on empower our students with present and future information. Lets identify and engage domestic and foreign organization that has compatible missions with department of education. In defining problems and planning programs that can help in our education like sport and academics. - Early childhood learning must be the root of our education. We must challenge our students from the early age, to become great leaders in science and innovation. - After form four we should eliminate form five and six instead we need to have a career training two-year

programs. Prepared students to become entrepreneurs, or ready to work in factories, agriculture, construction, tourism and infrastructure. Every child who went to school up to form 4 must be given opportunity to take these next two years of training to be qualify to get a job and work. Incase he or she choose to not continue with higher education for any other circumstances. This will help to prepared most of our students ready to work and help serve our government money to hire foreign companies to do work that our children can do. Lets change our ways we recruit our educators to ensure high standard for all teachers. We need to offer 50% of government scholarship for passionate teachers to go abroad for studies after they sign a contract to come back and teach. Department of education must be restructured from leadership to education curriculums in order to meet international standards of education. By only partner with International organization that can serve the best interest of our education. A new policy of mandatory Parents involvement to his or her child education must start immediately. Every school must have all the necessity to make our student successful and teachers job easier. No active teacher should open a tuition classes that charge students for extra education. Because its easier for teacher to not give it all in the classroom so that he can give those in his tuition better advantage. We must limit certain numbers of students per class. There should be test quiz to determine the readiness of students days before major exams. The quiz must be structure in the way to help students get ready for their exams by understanding lessons and not

memorize. And those who fail major exams must be given a second opportunity. Our failing students reports must be used as a tool for future success in finding ways and technique to do better. Government must stop giving certificate for the opening of private schools for now and making sure education provided by these school fit the bill a parent pays. We need to build the strength of our education by establish and maintaining better international relation with our foreign donors countries and organization. Teachers that we already have lets make sure they get our help and support. Provide continuous training for all teachers in every level every year, giving them resources they need to succeed. Prepare new Teachers based on their individual skills and ability of teaching different age and special needs students. Revamp teachers evaluation systems by having the most reliable evaluation to measure and promote effective teaching and new techniques to ensure effective teacher in every classroom.

Objective. Our objective must be to raise and commit to new standards of early child learning, starting to focus on standard one to make sure we go along with international standards of education. Also by the time a student get to form four he or she is ready to work not only anywhere around the country but also overseas depends on his or her areas of studies. Our relationship with other countries including East African Community will not be beneficiary to any Tanzanian unless more than 75% of our graduate can qualify to find a job and work overseas. We cannot teach people to fail, that 24% of our government budget

commitment to education is nothing if we cant produce many students who can work in international market. All students deserve the chance to learn and be successful, I believe if we can invest in our children education at all cost our future will be brighter than ever. So Im challenging all the parents who loves their children, all the teachers who passionately love to help others and all our leaders who love to lead because they believe in helping solving our country problem, all the community organization from Businesses to Religious groups and government agencies, lets do what we can in helping our children now and not wait until tomorrow. Conclusion Majority of our teachers are doing a wonderful job under very difficult circumstances. But for the few who are not doing what it takes to be a great teacher, we should not only focus on eliminating them. Instead we need to identify and help those whom are passionately in becoming educators, but they lack resources that will help them do so. No matter what we do our priority must be to ensure every child has a qualified, caring and committed teacher. We must understand Public education is the center and the root of our development and the health of our Nation. Our poverty can easily be link to the lack of knowledge that we have. Many families struggle not because of bad luck but sometimes is simply because they dont have opportunity to compete in many areas of life, due to the lack of knowledge. Same lack of knowledge is what produces incapable leaders with small vision and limited resources. As a concern citizen of our great Nation I strongly believe in my suggestion and Im hopping your administration will take them into consideration. Thank you.

Sincerely LEADER GENNIS. (Lgennis@yahoo.com)