STUDENTS who dislike science subjects, now have no way to escape them
following the government's declaration that from now on, science
subjects are compulsory to all students from Form One up to Form Four.
Currently, according to the education
policy, secondary school students may opt either to quit science
subjects or continue with other subjects at Form Three level.
The government announcement was made
here yesterday by the Minister of Education, Science and Vocational
Training, Prof Joyce Ndalichako, when addressing hundreds of primary
school teachers at an in-service short course, on the new teaching
curriculum for pupils of Standard Three and Four.
She said as the government is determined
to go to the medium economic level with industrialisation, the question
of science was inevitable so as to get more science experts to meet the
demand in industrial sector.
She said following the deficit of
science experts in many fields, the ministry has decided to force
students take such subjects until they sit for Form Four national exams,
then they may opt either to continue with them or not after that level.
This measure should, of course, force
students to pull up their socks and study the subjects, despite the fact
that in the current situation many students consider subjects as very
difficult. So, most of them opt for the arts streams.
She further said that in order to make
the move successful, the ministry has allocated about 12bn/- in this
fiscal year's budget that will be spent on laboratory apparatus so that
laboratories in all government secondary schools could have the
necessary equipment for science practical work.
"There will be no more of what is termed
as 'alternative practical.' What does it mean? We want students to
undergo complete science practical work and not otherwise so that we can
produce competent students who will later serve the nation at various
capacities and deliver," she said.
She further said that the Fifth Phase
Government is determined to see that the education offered in the
country meets the required standards so that Tanzanians could compete
with other people from other nations in terms of delivery at work
whether one is employed or is self-employed.
She urged the primary school teachers
who attended the in-service training to be committed and work hard in
accordance with professional ethics, so that they could cement the
foundation of education to their children from the initial level.
"If the foundation of the house is weak
even the whole building will be unstable. Likewise, in the education
arena, if the primary level education is weak, therefore, the higher
education will also be sub-standard because it takes in dull students.
Thus, the government is determined to
establish the foundation through empowering teachers by equipping them
with modern teaching skills," she added. On their side, the teachers
thanked the government for organising the training which they said could
boost their working morale.
However, they requested the minister to
consider the teachers' allowances as some of work in remote areas in
harsh environment without even getting motivation. The training was
attended by 480 teachers from three districts of Bumbuli, Handeni
township and Handeni rural.
Meanwhile, MAUREEN ODUNGA reports that
following the minister's announcement, stakeholders in the education
sector have applauded the government’s move to make science subjects
compulsory to all students from Form One up to Form Four, calling for
intervention on the various challenges.
In a telephone interview with the
‘Sunday News’, the Secretary of Tanzania Association of Managers and
Owners of Non-Government Schools and Colleges (TAMONGSCO), Mr Benjamin
Nkonya, said the move should have come a bit earlier but it was indeed a
good way to go.
“The way to go about this is to undergo
major improvements in the availability of proper teaching and learning
materials such as textbooks and infrastructure like laboratories and
libraries. The situation also calls for enough science teachers,” said
Mr Nkonya.
Another way to go about it is to direct
available resources in the proper channels and this is through revoking
the licence of both government and private schools lacking necessary
resources as per the requirements of the National Education Act, 1978.
“What is happening now is preparing
people whose skills are not conducive to the labour market. Most of the
graduates have ventured into arts, while the current demand is keen on
scientists,” he noted.
The Chairman of the Association of
Private Investors of Education (TAPIE), Mr Mahamoud Mringo, pointed out
that the government should seriously invest in science subjects by
making available all the necessary resources to be able to succeed in
the plan.
“We have not prepared for this because
the country was facing a shortage of science instructors and teachers.
For the plan to succeed we have to bring foreign teachers and this can
be achieved by creating appropriate environments like issues of permits
and giving them bonuses,” stressed Mr Mringo.
A parent, Ms Esther Ziara, extended
recognition to the government saying that this will give room for
children to have an extensive choice in the upper level of education.
Original link:
http://dailynews.co.tz/index.php/home-news/52449-science-subjects-now-compulsory
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