The Role of English in Tanzanian Education

I want to share this video created by Tanzanian secondary school students in Zanzibar discussing the challenges around English medium education at the secondary level.

English medium education (where all classes except for Swahili are taught in English) has been standard in Tanzania for many years.  Many of the teachers themselves lack mastery of the language, and as a result students are unable to gain sufficient fluency at the primary school level before entering secondary school.  Most of my own students frequently failed every course in Form I due to their inability to understand the classroom lectures or textbooks.

Recently the Tanzanian Parliament has passed a law to make Swahili the language of instruction to replace English in secondary schools (Swahili is already the language of instruction for primary schools), but this has yet to be implemented.  Proper education in English is one of the many challenges faced by Tanzanian students in the educational system.

Swahili Proverbs 1

Swahili Proverb
Ajifunzaye haachi kujua.

Translation
One who studies goes on learning.

Meaning
No learning is a waste of effort.


Source: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Center for African Studies

Itiso Secondary School graduation, 2010

Help me help Itiso students further their education

As a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, I have been wanting to give more back to the community that took me, cared for me, and at least humored my crazy ideas. (Girls' empowerment? If you say so, lady...)

My counterpart from my community in Tanzania, with the help of a local NGO, has helped me set up a scholarship fund for kids from the village who want to attend A-level schools. The village has only an O-level school (lower level high school, for those unfamiliar with the British system), requiring the students to attend a boarding school if they wish to continue their education. This is obviously costly, more costly than most families can afford.** This first year I only anticipate being able to support one student and I hope to continue supporting him and adding a new student next year, etc.

This first student has been selected and accepted into a school following his O-level exams and is waiting to start -- as soon as his fees are paid. With the various fees, tuition, supplies, uniforms, wire transfer fees -- all told will come to $370. If you would like to contribute, you can donate through Friends of Tanzania, as US-based nonprofit (so it's tax deductible!). Be sure to indicate that it is for the Itiso Scholarship Fund as shown under Designation below. [Check out the red circle!]  Normally I'd be able to raise this without begging on the internet, but the semester has already begun over there and the sooner we can send the money, the sooner he can start school!

Thanks in advance to anyone who chooses to donate to my project!  If you leave your contact info, I'll send you a note! :)

 **Why this? In my experience living in the community, kids will bomb exams when they don't think their parents can afford their continued education. I saw it, teachers at every educational level saw it. It was an unspoken way for the kids to relieve their parents of guilt for not being able to pay for schooling. After the secondary school was built in the village and youth no longer had to go to boarding schools, bringing the price of it down, primary school exam pass rates jumped. But pass rates for the secondary school are still dismal. That might be because the school is lousy, but it might not be. I want students to use the promise of a scholarship to try to excel and not lower their expectations because of their perceived financial circumstances.