Bid to restore education uniformity

The move follows completion of a new curriculum, which was reviewed to accommodate the requirements of the Education Training Policy of 2014.

TIE acting Director General Elia Kibga told the ‘Daily News’ in a telephone interview yesterday that the issue of one book-per-subject, per grade, per language in the country is already solved and the institute is now focused on distributing the books to all schools.

“We have already printed books for Standard One up to Seven under this new curriculum... and, by the end of this month, we will be done with distribution of the books to all primary schools in the country,” said Dr Kibga.

He decried content contrast among textbooks as one of the serious problems that necessitated improvement of the curriculum, saying all schools are now obliged to use only one book approved by the institute.

Bid to restore education uniformity

According to Dr Kibga, the content difference will never recur as the single TIE approved textbook will be used, countrywide. The institute has also prepared 15 textbooks for English medium schools for Standard One to Three.

Dr Kibga said it was critical for the government to disburse more funds for publication of more books for use, countrywide. He said for secondary level, TIE has prepared 15 textbooks for Form Five and Six.

The newly prepared curriculum has focused on technical studies, science and technology to sharpen students’ skills for effective participation in the industrial based economy.

TIE Director of Curriculum Development and Review, Dr Wilberforce Meena, dismissed as baseless public complaints over the alleged government’s decision to frequently change the curriculum.

“It should be noted that from the year 2005, we have been using one curriculum for Standard One and Two until 2015 when we made changes... that means the changes came after ten years,” Dr Meena explained.

He said the changes followed stakeholders’ views and TIE researchers’ findings that majority pupils were completing Standard Seven unable to read and write.

For the past ten years, said Dr Meena, the institute had only been improving the curricula, without changing them. Dr Meena further said that 30 textbooks for Form I to Form III were also prepared, with some of the books already printed and distributed since December 2016.

TIE has also prepared 26 textbooks compatible with the curriculum of primary education of 2005 for Standard One up to Standard Seven.

Source - Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam)