Africa-Press – Tanzania. ZANZIBAR has replaced content-based with competence-based syllabus to groom competent and productive learners.
“We want to produce thinkers and problem solvers in the country,” Director of Secondary Education in the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, Asya Iddi Issa said here over the weekend.
Closing the six-day In-Service Training (INSET) for English teachers from all secondary schools in Unguja, the director challenged the trainers to strive to equip students with relevant skills.
She said even the national examination question format has changed, effectively last year, with the new focus being on testing aptitude instead of cramming capacity.
“Let’s give more works to students and encourage them to use libraries to read widely,” she directed.
The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA)-funded four-year INSET programme for Mathematics, Science and English Teachers started 2021 through 2024.
Senior Programme Manager with GoodNeighbours Tanzania John Massenza whose organisation is executing the project said the five million US dollars (over 11bn/-) scheme seeks to ease teaching and make it friendly to learners.
“The target is all secondary schools in Unguja and Pemba. We firmly believe that after the training, teaching of Mathematics, Science and English subjects will become easy and friendly; and boost students’ love to science subjects,” Mr Massenza said.
Training Consultant with GoodNeighbours Tanzania Dr Elia Kibga promised drastic educational revolution under the programme.
“Zanzibar will change a lot in the next few years; we have started with English teachers but others in Mathematics and Science are coming as well,” he said, adding: “We aspire for real education, we don’t want a biology graduate; yet, he is the first victim when cholera strikes in the village.”
One of the resource persons, Sabrina Masoud Suleiman, described the programme as critical to the contemporary Zanzibar, which needs highly skilled and interactive professionals.
“During our times, illiteracy meant inability to read and write but today illiteracy means lack of essential social skills…you can be a graduate and yet illiterate,” charged the retired English teacher.
Zanzibar Commercial School Teacher Mwajina Ali Mselem appreciated the weeklong training, saying they will boost their capacity to impart students with relevant skills.
“We are in the era of learner-centred teaching; this kind of training is of great importance to us, teachers,” said the English teacher.
Under competence-based teaching, students and teachers are both takers and givers, with teachers playing the facilitative role.
The methodology encourages students’ participation, confidence and inquisitiveness in the learning process with the end product being highly competent and problem solvers in the society.
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