Govt embarks on new plan to retain teachers

Jenista Mhagama, Deputy Minister for Education and Vocational Training

 To bridge the science teachers’ gap in the country the government is working on a scholarship programme for high school graduates seeking to pursue science subject in the education faculty.

 

Through the programme, the graduates will receive full scholarships to cover their education faculty studies and in turn they will be employed to teach in government schools for a specified period of time upon completion of their studies.

 

Students to qualify for the scholarships are form six students who scored Division 1 and who also applied to join the Education faculty in college for the academic year 2015/16 which commences in September.

 

The sponsorship will also be specific for those who score Division II or III in their form six finals.

 

 In an interview with The Guardian held yesterday in Dar es Salaam, Deputy Minister for Education and Vocational Training Jenista Mhagama said the ministry is now working on how long to retain the funded graduates in government service before they are allowed to join the private sector.

 

 “We are currently concentrating on selection of the qualified applicants in the announced programme and discussing the time frame to retain the beneficiaries,” she explained.

 

She said in this modern era of science and technology, there is growing need for the nation to have competent teachers and experts in science and technology to enable the country to cope with the advancements.

 

“With the ongoing world technological developments, there is a need to have our own experts and teachers serving in our higher learning institutions,” she said.

 

According to the country’s First Five Year Development Plan (2011/12-2015/16), in the education sector alone, over 900,000 qualified teachers have to be engaged in addition to the current 238,000. 

 

The health sector, the figure has to be increased from the current 110,000 professionals to 476,000 by 2025.

 

Back in May this year during the opening of the ninth higher education, science and technology exhibitions in Dar es Salaam, where Deputy Minister Mhagama first announced the government plans for the scholarship programme, Minister for Science and Technology Prof Makame Mbarawa said to attain a competent workforce the nation need competent teachers.

 

According to the form six results released by the National Examination Council of Tanzania (Necta) mid last month, the pass rate for science subjects this year rose tremendously compared to last year’s. 

 

According to the said results, at least 15, 340 students equal to 95. 78 per cent passed Chemistry compared to 13,809 equal to 83.87 per cent recorded last year. 

 

9,311 students equal to 78.41 per cent passed Physics this year in comparison to only 5, 788 equal to 46.34 per cent recorded last year.

 

 As for Biology, at least 10,693 students, equal to 97.57 per cent passed this year against 9,181 equal to 87.05 per cent last year and in Advanced Mathematics, at least 8,537 students equal to 89.40 per cent passed this year as against 6.895 students, equal to 69.32 per cent for last year.

 

 A total of 41,968 candidates were registered to sit for the Form Six examinations in 2014, but only 40, 695 candidates sat for the exams.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN