Mixed views over Pre-Form Five studies

In the recent past, after four years of ordinary secondary education, Form Four graduates would spend some few months waiting for the examination results by doing a number of activities.

Many secondary school leavers would either stay home helping their parents with house chores, run errands or visit relatives.

Of recent, things have changed a little as many students are required to join pre-Advanced Secondary education studies while others have to attend some study camps meant to prepare them for the coming academic year.

After the release of Form Four national examination results students used to spend much of their time recuperating from the often stressful academic journey, but currently Success has learnt that many private schools in Dar es Salaam have started to enroll pre-Form Five students for what is known as preparatory education.

Anne Marie Secondary School head master, Gradius Ndyetabula, says Pre-Form Five programme is of utmost importance as it makes a student not to forget school life, noting that it is a way of making learners enjoy academic life.

The head of school notes that he has already prepared a timetable to keep pre-Form Five students busy.

“We want our students not to lose touch with academic life. Form Four examination results were released in November last year, that being the case, they are supposed to wait for Form Five studies to begin in July this year. This is quite a long time. Some students, if not well engaged may forget everything to do with education. Pre- Form Five programme is very important in this regard,” says Ndyetabura.

The headmaster notes that the programme helps teachers to understand the kind of students they are set to have in their classroom settings notwithstanding their Form Four pass marks, explaining that some students may pass Form Four exams with flying colours but fail to make it to Form Six.

“The Pre-Form Five programme is not only about covering the syllabus but it even entails counselling students to board on new academic challenges. Some parents are used to forcing students to pursue courses which are contrary to their choices, therefore counselling helps orient them in the right path. This can only be successful if one embarks on pre-Form Five course,” says the head master.

He clarifies that not all students who pass through pre-Form Five courses at his school are forced to study at the education facility, noting that one is at liberty to find a school of their choice after they have benefited from the training.

“Many parents would want their children engaged with learning after passing their Form Four exams. They would not like to see them idle at home. It is parents who even make phone calls to our school asking for the service. One can now see how important the programme is,” he expounds.

Tanzania Association of Managers and Owners of Non-Government School and Colleges (Tamongsco) chairman Benjamin Nkonya says pre-Form Five course is of utmost importance, arguing that the program is a gateway to setting students for new academic life.

The chairman notes that Form Four Examination results may, sometimes, fail to give the full picture of the candidate’s merits.

“We mostly witness candidates who lack merit to join Advanced Secondary Education despite passing Necta exams will flying colours. I find the screening through pre-Form Five helpful in sharpening students’ skills and knowledge,” says Nkonya, noting that parents should not feel it burdensome paying for their children’s pre-Form Five courses.

Carlos Msango, Head Master at Anoarite Mwenye Heri, Dar es salaam, says pre-Form Five is very important, arguing that if students are sourced with different backgrounds, fresher courses make them benefit from the new learning systems.

“Some students pass through English medium schools others do not. Therefore they may not be at the same level. The key aim of our school is to churn out students with good grades against our competitors this is why we heavily invest in pre-Form Five program,” says Carlos. Tusiime Secondary school Head Master, Emilius Rugambwa, supports the program of pre-Form five training, noting that high school curriculum is long and the time for teaching is limited.

“Before the changes of syllabus we used to have short midterm break, which was one week for students to rest, but now the break is for 19 days. This means that teachers do not have enough time to finish teaching everything on the syllabus. Thus they devise different ways to cope with the situation,” he says. He thus supports the pre-form Five training program because it provides students with basic skills and knowledge to help them cope well when a new academic year begins.

Parents

Cloud Msemwa, 48, a parent living in Dar es Salaam, says pre-Form Five courses are very important, noting that most of the children these days complete their Ordinary Level education while young, therefore engaging them in fresher courses is a way of ensuring they perform their best in the long run. He has enrolled his son for Pre-Form Five studies at Highland Secondary School in the city.

“Nowadays our children finish school very young, say: 17, 16 or 18 years old, a child of this age is not supposed to stay home idle. They may forget whatever they have been taught at school,” says Msemwa, adding that, when the young ones are not exposed to academic life they are likely to be plunged into mob psychology and immorality.

Msemwa says the November to July break is very long, expounding that if all is not set up students may lose direction and now comes the relevance of pre-Form Five Programme.

However, another parent, Naomi Meshack, 45, whose daughter has also enrolled for Pre-Form Five program, says she doesn’t concur with her fellow guardians who think Pre-Form Five courses are set to mold students’ academic life.

Naomi says that schools embark on Pre-Form Five program just to rake in cash, explaining that the project is not even recognized in the government’s curriculum.

“Form Five students have to start their classes in July but the Pre courses start in November. I think parents who find the fresher courses important waste a lot of money because in the end they will find that their children are repeating the same topics. Considering the cash woes that many parents face these days, I think that money can be put to better use,” she laments.

Neema Msuya, one of the parents who have reservations toward the Pre-Form Five programme, didn’t have a choice but to send her daughter to join the program as well. She says that Pre-Form Five is costly and some parents who cannot afford are at a disadvantage. “Because of the level of our education, I am forced to send my daughter to Pre-Form Five so that she may be able to compete with others at school,” she says, adding, “otherwise, I wouldn’t support such a programme.”

Glory Msemwa, 17, from St Anne Maria in Mbezi, Dar es Salaam, says Pre Form Five programme is good because it is a way of brushing up your Ordinary level mistakes and geting ready for advanced studies.

“I scored Division Two and I balanced the EGM combination: Economics, Geography and Mathematics. I know I am poor in Geography that is why I started my Pre-Form Five course to keep myself abreast with new skills and knowledge,” says Glory.