Experts explain higher science pass rates in Form 4 exams
What you need to know:
- The surge is attributed to motivational strategies like government scholarships, university initiatives, and the introduction of the Samia Scholarship specifically for science students
Dar es Salaam. The National Examinations Council of Tanzania’s (Necta) announcement of the Form Four national examination results for 2023 yesterday has left education experts surprised at the unprecedented improvement in science subjects.
You can view the results here:
Necta revealed a substantial upturn in the performance of science, mathematics, and technology studies, signalling a positive shift in the way students perceived the subjects in recent years.
The council’s executive secretary, Dr Said Mohamed, highlighted the remarkable progress, stating: “The pass rate for Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Engineering Science, Agriculture, Information and Computer Studies, Additional Mathematics, and Food and Human Nutrition is between 70 percent and 100 percent.”
This surge in performance, stakeholders said, was a testament to the collective efforts made by the government and stakeholders to motivate students about the significance of these subjects for the country’s development.
An education stakeholder and lecturer at St. Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT), Dr Janeth Mushi, expressed optimism about the newfound enthusiasm for science studies.
“This is a good sign that will give impetus to many students to love and opt for the subjects because now it’s like the tide has started to change,” Dr Mushi remarked, emphasising the departure from the disappointing trend in science subject performance in previous years.
The positive results are attributed to various motivational strategies implemented by the government and educational institutions, according to Dr Thomas Jabir, an education consultancy expert.
“The government, through the ministry of Education, has been establishing some scholarships for students who do well in science studies; universities like the University of Dar es Salaam have been doing this as well. This is one of the ways that we will continue to make students work harder in this area.”
One notable achievement is the subject of Food and Human Nutrition, where all candidates emerged successful, according to Necta.
Additionally, Additional Mathematics recorded a pass rate of 97.84 percent, followed closely by Chemistry with 96.14 percent.
Information and Computer Studies had a pass rate of 89.88 percent, and Agriculture had a pass rate of 88.49 percent.
“These results indicate a growing interest and aptitude for science-related fields among Tanzanian students.”
The introduction of the Samia Scholarship under the ministry of Education has played a pivotal role in motivating students to excel in science subjects.
Dr Jabir acknowledged: “The Samia Scholarship under the Ministry of Education, in itself, is a great motivation that will, in reality, continue to make many students from O-level wish to receive such a scholarship.”
While celebrating the success in science subjects, concerns were raised about the persisting challenge in basic mathematics. Despite an increase in performance compared to the previous year, Basic Mathematics still faces a pass rate averaging only 25.42 percent.
Dr Jabir urged a comprehensive examination of the teaching and testing methodologies for Basic Mathematics to address the ongoing challenge.
In terms of overall performance, Dr Mohamed announced that a total of 572,359 candidates were registered for the Form Four national exam, with 310,248 girls (54.21 percent) and 262,111 boys (45.79 percent).
The performance, he said, had shown a significant improvement, with a 1.57 percent increase for school candidates, totaling 484,823 candidates passing the exam, representing 87.65 percent.
However, amidst the success, Necta nullified the results of 102 candidates who were found to have cheated in the exam and five others who used abusive language in their scripts.
Dr Mohamed emphasised the importance of maintaining the integrity of the examination process and confirmed that actions are being taken against those involved in cheating and writing abuses in scripts.
A lecturer at Mzumbe University, Dr Eunice Mtweve, said the 2023 Form Four national examination results had, hopefully, unveiled a positive and encouraging trend in science subject performance, marking a departure from the previous year’s challenges.
“The concerted efforts of the government, educational institutions, and the introduction of motivational initiatives will keep on contributing to this significant improvement. This is what is done elsewhere,” Dr Mtweve said.
