AfricaPress-Tanzania: ON Friday the National Examinational Council of Tanzania (Nacte) announced the Form 6 national examination results in Mainland Tanzania, saying the academic performance had slightly improved to 98.35 per cent this year from 98.32 per cent last year.
In the overall performance, girls outshined boys and public schools performed better than private schools. While the former passed by 99.07 per cent, the latter passed by 97.81 per cent.
This was according to Nacte Executive Secretary, Dr Charles Msonde. Obviously, the good performance is attributed to the government’s massive investment in education.
After President John Magufuli assumed office in 2015 he announced that his government would provide free education from primary to secondary school level (up to Form 4).
This resulted in an increase in the number of primary and secondary school enrolment.
It means that before the free primary and secondary school education policy, families with limited financial resources hardly sent their children to school.
So, the free education policy has opened up an education avenue which has resulted in an increase in school enrolment.
Improving learning and teaching environment is another aspect the government has done by ensuring schools have desks and chairs and other requisite materials and teachers’ houses are constructed, including improving their emoluments.
Even during the coronavirus pandemic the government continued paying them although schools were closed for some months to study the trend of Covid-19.
So, this year’s Form 6 performance reminds us as country and nation to ensure the government invests adequately in education and parents and other education stakeholders play their part so that we may have an enlightened nation which can compete with other nations across the world.
Since Tanzania has attained the lower middle-income economy status, we have to ensure besides eradicating poverty and improving other sectors of the economy we also work hard to further education.
Improvement in advanced level education implies having future competent graduates.
Therefore, as various education stakeholders suggest higher learning institutions must groom students who are able to create jobs rather than seek formal employment due to spiralling unemployment trends across the world.
What we want to stress is that as is often said where there’s a will there’s a way, we will succeed in many development projects if we put our heart in them.
The great strides we have made in many sectors of the economy are a case in point.
It suffices to say that the many things we are doing well are indicative that we are moving in the right direction. Thus, let’s keep this fire burning!
