Feed A Hungry Mind

Report 8^th September 2013

The primary schools are closed for a half-term break, but of more
importance they are closed for the Standard VII end-of-primary national
examinations which take place on the 11^th and 12^th  September.

In the run up to the examinations Barbara Kerr has been helping the
teachers who teach mathematics to the Standard VII pupils. Barbara’s collection
and analysis of data shows the areas or topics which cause the greatest
difficulty for the pupils. These difficulties can all be traced back to deficiencies
in the syllabus in the earlier years. However, Barbara worked with some of the
teachers and pupils, and some major areas of difficulty have been explained.
This may well be too late to be of real benefit to those sitting the examinations
next week, but it has made the teachers aware of the areas that need attention,
and that Barbara is on-hand to assist them.

Barbara has had several meetings with the Academic Officers and the
District Education Officer for Moshi Rural District and they have agreed to
give Barbara all marked examination papers for the schools in Mabogini Ward so
that her data collection and analysis can continue.

Barbara has prepared a document which sets out the deficiencies in
the maths syllabus and relates those to the problems which many pupils are
facing. From that document Barbara and Katy Allen have prepared a newspaper
article in English and in Swahili which it is hoped will be published soon in
the national press.

Discussions have been taking place for a partnership with another
charitable organisation working in the Moshi Rural District. Theirs is a linked
programme of health, education, infrastructure and income-generation, but they
realise their lack of expertise in education. Plans are taking shape for VEPK
to run a pilot-project for mathematics and English on a cost-sharing basis.

Dr Anne Samson (the researcher and advisor for the Whole School
Development Programme) visited in July/August and, among other things, she
conducted another workshop with the District School Inspectors of Moshi Rural
and the tutors of Singa Chini Teacher Training College. This was to gain
agreement on the methods of assessment which teachers can use in the classrooms.
As the teachers are supposed to be using ‘participatory’ teaching methods there
needs to be not only an understanding of ‘participatory’ teaching but also of
assessment of the pupils’ learning. The stance currently adopted is that teachers
must have written work in order to assess learning by the pupils. This is restricting
the adoption of ‘participatory’ teaching. The participants reached agreement on
the Assessment Evidence that teachers should be able to record. The
participants requested VEPK to prepare a document that could be signed by the
Inspectorate, by the Teacher Training College and then go to the Zonal
Inspectorate office for approval and for eventual submission to the Ministry of
Education & Vocational Training. The aim is to obtain a national circular
on the matter which then all school inspectors will be able to follow, and be
able to help the primary school teachers to understand and implement
‘participatory’ teaching and learning. The document is now with the Zonal Chief
Inspector of Schools for the North-Eastern Zone ready to be submitted to the
Ministry of Education.

Dilly Mtui (the project co-ordinator), Katy and Barbara went to Dar
es Salaam in mid-August for several meetings. Two very important posts have new
occupants: the Director of the Tanzania Institute of Education; the Permanent
Secretary at the Ministry of Education & Vocational Training. It was
important to inform them of our work and to start to build a working
relationship with them. They were each already aware of our work, particularly
of the course books for teaching English in the primary schools. Further
meetings later this month should result in a final decision on the use of the
books.

Progress is not always particularly newsworthy, but we are working
steadily with the teachers in the schools, with the district officials and then
with the national officials in Dar es Salaam. This is an essential mix. It is
the only way to know about the problems faced by the teachers and to work with
them to find solutions, and then to take those solutions and promote them at
the national level. It takes time. Time is a crucial and vital ingredient to
any work in education in a developing country.

A big ‘thank you’ goes again to all of our supporters who give
towards our work. Any help towards our Whole School Development Project is
invaluable and is highly appreciated.

Many thanks to everyone.

Very best wishes

Katy Allen

Director