Tanzania postpones Form Five curriculum over technical issues
Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Adolf Mkenda. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology had initially planned to roll out the new curriculum for the 2024/25 academic year, however, several technical issues have stalled this plan, pushing its implementation to 2025
Dodoma. Tanzania’s education sector faces a significant challenge with the delay in the implementation of the new curriculum for Form Five.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology had initially planned to roll out the new curriculum for the 2024/25 academic year.
However, several technical issues have stalled this plan, pushing its implementation to 2025.
According to a letter circulated on social media and signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Prof Carolyne Nombo, the primary reason for the delay is the incomplete printing of textbooks.
This printing is being done abroad, and the books have not yet arrived in the country.
This letter caused a stir on social media, with many stakeholders arguing that the implementation of new policies and curricula was rushed without adequate preparation.
In response, Minister of Education Prof Adolf Mkenda addressed these concerns on July 26, 2024.
"The 2023 Education and Training Policy was approved in October last year," said Prof Mkenda.
"The new curriculum was designed to meet the requirements of this policy."
He assured that the new curriculum is already being implemented successfully in early childhood education, Grade 1, Grade 3, Form 1, and the first year of teacher training. However, Form Five has faced unique challenges.
"One of the technical reasons is that the printing of textbooks has not been completed," Prof Mkenda explained.
"Unfortunately, the printing is not done in the country, but this is something we will rectify going forward."
Prof Mkenda noted that even if the books arrived this month, the distribution process would still cause delays.
Therefore, after discussions with stakeholders, they decided to postpone the implementation to avoid such issues.
"The books are complete and available on teachers' tablets nationwide and in the online library," he clarified.
"But after discussing with our colleagues, we decided to postpone."
The Minister also mentioned that some stakeholders wanted to print the books themselves.
However, they realised that without a unified approach, it would be problematic, especially since the exams are set by one body: the National Examinations Council of Tanzania (NECTA).
"We collectively agreed to postpone until next year," said Prof Mkenda. "Teacher preparations will continue in the meantime."
He revealed that some students might need to change the subjects they chose.
"Some subjects have existed since 2010 but were not taught due to a lack of teachers. A school will offer a subject if there are teachers," he said.
Education stakeholders have different views on this matter.
An education analyst from the University of Dar es Salaam, Mr Geofrey Kilango, emphasised that implementing new policies and curricula is a gradual process.
"This is the essence of doing things efficiently," said Mr Kilango.
"If there are challenges, it's better to wait until the situation stabilises so that implementation can proceed smoothly."
He advised that frequent research should be conducted at other education levels to identify and resolve challenges early.
"We should also focus on areas where implementation has started, particularly the availability of qualified teachers to meet curriculum and policy requirements. Additionally, we need to ensure the availability of appropriate teaching and learning materials," he added.
The letter, dated July 24, 2024, also mentioned that the Ministry of Education had received a letter from the President's Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG) about the challenges in implementing the curriculum that began on July 1, 2024.
In a joint working session between the ministry and PO-RALG, it was found that the main issues were the lack of hard copies of textbooks for teachers and the provision of orientation training for teachers.
"Following this request, the ministry, through letter reference number CA.128/191/01D/99 dated 22/7/2024 to PO-RALG, agreed to postpone the implementation of the improved Form Five curriculum to 2025 after these challenges are resolved," the letter stated.
Moreover, the letter suggested postponing the implementation of the curriculum in Zanzibar since high school exams (A-level) between mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar are the same.
The postponement of the new Form Five curriculum highlighted the importance of thorough preparation before announcing the implementation of new educational frameworks.
Ensuring that all necessary materials and training are in place is crucial to avoid disruptions that could affect students' learning experiences.
