Elimu

I can't believe the day has come!  Tomorrow will be the last day of my teaching internship practicum (aka substituting) at the Kihonda Secondary School!  I have come to realize something the past few weeks of teaching one class (or what they call "streams" here in Tanzania) for three double-periods a week...

I LOVE TEACHING!  :)

It is a ton of fun, especially when I get to see the same students each week for 80 minutes at a time (each period is 40 minutes), and see their improvement after just one week.  I currently teach Form I, which is most equivalent to 8th graders; however, the education system here is quite different than the education system of the United States - I will get to that.  Teachers are held in very high regard because education is so important here and the current literacy rates are so low in Tanzania.  There is an entirely different perspective on education in Tanzania, so I feel like it is only appropriate to give an overview on the Tanzanian education background before I discuss my teaching experience thus far.

So, to fully understand the high demand of Peace Corps Education Volunteers in Tanzania (aka one of the reasons why I’m here), I must first explain the education system of Tanzania.

In Tanzania, the education [“elimu”] system is developed by two main ministries, which work closely together: the Tanzanian Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT) and Prime Ministers Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PMO-RALG), which is more commonly known as TAMISEMI.  The MoEVT develops the nationwide curriculum.  The Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE), which is part of the MoEVT, requires that every school, public or private, must abide by its standard curriculum and syllabus.  Also, the MoEVT implements examinations through its agency called the National Examination Council of Tanzania (NECTA).  I will often refer to NECTA exams throughout my posts, since my students will have to take them at certain stages in their education career in order to move on to further education.  TAMISEMI manages the school infrastructure.  It employs and regulates human resources in schools, as well as works closely with community school buildings’ construction and asset acquirement.
Here is the breakdown of grades in Tanzania, equivalent to those in the states:

• Primary School:  Standard 1 through 7 = Grades 1-7 (instruction is in Kiswahili)
• O- Level (Ordinary Level) Secondary School:  Form I through IV = Grades 8-11 (instruction is supposed to be in English)
• A-Level (Advanced Level) Secondary School:  Form V and VI = Grades 12-13 (instruction is in English)

Every student is required to take NECTA exams after Standard 7, Form II, and Form IV.  The results of the NECTA exams are taken into account whether you are able to move on to further education, which school you attend, and the type of career opportunities you may have.  NECTA exams act as both exit and entrance exams.  The NECTA exams test all subjects (math, physics, chemistry, biology, Kiswahili, English, history, geography, and civics) and your score is averaged.  Your Standard 7 and Form II NECTA results are used to determine which school are able to attend, depending on how well you score.  Form II NECTA results used to determine if you could continue on to Form III, but now all students are able to continue through secondary school regardless of their results.  The Form IV NECTA results determine whether you get your O-Level certificate, but more importantly, if you are able to continue on to A-Level and the school you can attend, or if you go to a training college for other occupations, such as primary school teachers.  So now if I mention NECTA, there should be less confusion than before.

Although NECTA exams are much more important than any assessments given by teachers during regular classes, I still gave my students a short, 30 minute test this past Monday just to see if what I taught them actually sunk in and if I need to reevaluate my teaching methods.  :)  I should also mention at this time that in Tanzanian schools, students where uniforms, no matter if the schools are private or government (public).  Also, most students do not (actually none of mine) have textbooks, let alone exercise books (or notebooks).  Learning resources and supplies are lacking, and even though my internship school is a relatively good school (as in students strive to be accepted to Kihonda Secondary School), a couple students in my class do not have pens or paper to write anything down.  There tends to be a lot of sharing of materials in class, which can be difficult to regulate during tests.

Another important note is that students stay in one classroom and the teachers move around.  For example, I teach Stream 1F (Form I, Stream F) three times a week, so when it is time for class to start, I gather my things - chalk, my duster, books, my lesson plan, and lesson notes - and walk to the class.  Once I walk into the room and get ready for class to begin, the class prefect [yes, I definitely think of Harry Potter a lot when I am teaching here in Tanzania] claps once and the whole class stands up and greets me in unison, "Good Morning, Madame (Belle)!  How are you?" and I respond, "Fine, thank you!  How are you doing this morning?"  Then, after I tell them to sit down, I begin my lesson.  :]  It's actually pretty awesome.  I also think of Harry Potter a lot because each school has a Headmaster or Head of School, which we call "mkuu" in Kiswahili, a Second Master or Assistant Head of School, and the usual department heads and teachers on duty.

I know I did not exactly share much of my specific teaching experience in this post, but I didn't want this post to be longer than it already is.  So, I promise I will do another entry tomorrow after my last class day!  Tomorrow is our last day at Kihonda Secondary School, so I am sure I will have more to talk about the day's activities.  SPOILER ALERT: I will be asking my students if they have any questions for me about America, etc. tomorrow, and we (my CBT) will be giving a short thank you/goodbye speech in Kiswahili to the whole school during the day, so that should be interesting!