Secondary Education in Tanzania: Notes on Key Policy Challenges Suleman Sumra and Rakesh Rajani HakiElimu

Guiding Questions 1. Are our goals clear, consistent and are they the most important? 2. Will the goals lead to the results we seek? Given resource constraints, are our priorities the most strategic

Context Major strides taken since the turn of the century, PEDP 2002 – 2006; SEDP 2004 Significant Improvements in enrolment; infrastructure; Books and teachers.

Five Policy Challenges Establish Clear Targets Focus on Outcomes, not Inputs Teacher and Teacher Support over Infrastructures Measuring Success Language of Instruction

Policy Challenge 1: Establish Clear Targets Official Government target: “Maximum Growth” scenario with 50% NER by 2009 “medium growth” scenario endorsed by the World Bank Political Target: Enroll ALL those who passed primary education in 2005 right now – Build a Secondary School in Each ward

Effects of Unclear Targets Planning for which targets? Lack of coherence/coordination between teacher training colleges, book provision, libraries and laboratories Appears to be significant shortfall of resources as compared to requirements NEED OF A SINGLE, CONSOLIDATED AND COORDINATED SET OF TARGETS FOR SECONDARY EDUCATION

Policy Challenge 2: Focus on outcomes, not Inputs Education yes, but for what? Focusing on “inputs” or “outputs” have different policy implications. Focus on capabilities – “what are students able to do?” REVISE POLICY THAT FOCUSES ON THE CAPABILITIES OF ITS LEARNERS, THAT FOCUS ON THE SKILLS, ABILITIES AND APPTITUDES OF ITS GRADUATES – TO THRIVE IN THE WORLD AND IN THE NEXT STAGE OF FORMAL SCHOOLING

Policy Challenge 3: Teachers and Teacher Support over Infrastructure Greater clarity needed on the meaning of competent teacher – of what is expected of all teachers and how this will be monitored and measured. Pre-service and in-service needs to be focused on teacher competence Teacher welfare need to be comprehensively addressed

Policy Challenge 4: Measuring Success Examination have profound effect on how and what teachers teach. What do exam measure? If examinations is what “counts”; examinations should count what matters.

Policy Challenge 5: Language of Instruction Disconnect between language of instruction in primary and secondary education Presumption that primary education will produce competencies in English Increasing number of private English Medium Schools lead to class formation