UDSM don advises on TZ’s education system

What you need to know:

  • That statement was issued on Friday, April 20, by a lecturer of the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Dr Eugenia Kafanabo, in a speech she delivered at the Saint Joseph primary school during the 20th annual commemoration of ‘schools’ scholastic excellence reflecting on the continent’s future.’

Dar es Salaam. One prominent education stakeholder in Tanzania has  suggested that schools and higher learning institutions in the country should provide their students with technical education and related skills which would enable them to surmount the challenges that render most of the youth in the country unemployable – and, therefore, largely remain unemployed.

That statement was issued on Friday, April 20, by a lecturer of the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Dr Eugenia Kafanabo, in a speech she delivered at the Saint Joseph primary school during the 20th annual commemoration of ‘schools’ scholastic excellence reflecting on the continent’s future.’

Noting that the kind of education which is currently provided in most schools and higher learning institutions across Tanzania should be beyond marks earned in student examinations, Dr Kafanabo revealed that employers have been complaining that over 50 per cent of the youth completing formal education in Tanzania are generally unsuitable for direct employment1

“Employers are looking for ‘quality’ other than academic qualifications achieved in classrooms. They are interested in the skills, communication and other capabilities that would effectively help them make use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and other social networks,” she said.

“Therefore, we shouldn’t concentrate only on ensuring that students get high pass marks in exams; we are supposed to ensure that our graduates are innovative, and have great ability to work in the industry and agriculture – just to mention two major sectors of the economy,” she said.

According to her, school and college leavers are also supposed to have additional qualifications that would clearly differentiate them from other ordinary Tanzanians. This is especially if they want to be ‘self-employed, distinct from salaried employees, she said.

As it is today, “parents, teachers and the society in general are all interested in seeing children in Tanzania complete their studies by scoring high marks in their exams. This is regardless of whether or not they were able to translate the high scores into practical activities that are of substantial benefit all round,” the UDSM lecturer lamented.

In the event, she challenged the country’s education system, saying it recognizes academic certificates as being good enough for people seeking employment, instead of (the system) providing innovation skills throughout their study years which would be functional the rest of their lives!

“If prospective employers earnestly put emphasis on innovation during fobs interviews instead of on academic certificates, higher learning institutions would have changed their approach to education,” she said.

Indeed, she said, the government has started including entrepreneurship-related issues in some school curricula.

For her part, Ms Doreen G, Kessy executive director of the Ubongo Kids in Dar es Salaam – an animated educational TV series produced in Tanzania, which helps kids find the fun in learning – says debate on the country’s system of education is healthy for national prosperity.

Noting that Tanzania needs to act rapidly and in accordance with the profound changes that are taking place in the world, Ms Kessy said “we need to deliberate on the type of education we want. We are the ones to decide whether we continue with the current education system – or we should adopt a new, more functional system,” she said.