– Everyone acknowledges that Tanzania has made major improvements in the education sector. The Government’s Primary and Secondary Education Development Plan’s have resulted in expanded access to education. Many schools and classrooms have been built and enrolment numbers are significantly up. However, the quality of education in most schools in Tanzania today is still not adequate at all. We as development partners are working closely with the Tanzanian government to put quality on top of the education agenda. This was stated by the Swedish Ambassador Staffan Herrström in a speech at the Anniversaries and Graduations Ceremony of the Barbro Johansson Model Girls' Secondary School, on Thursday the 25 September at Luguruni Campus, Dar es Salaam.
– I have talked to parents about quality education. I have listened to girls and boys. The stories they tell are about overcrowded classrooms, absent teachers, lack of access to books, corporal punishment or intimidation, unqualified teachers, passive learning and high dropout rates not least due to poverty and pregnancies. The children I talk to think, like I do, that it is wrong to continue expelling pregnant girls from schools. There are nevertheless many teachers struggling to provide good education in spite of limited resources. And there are of course bright spots and good examples of schools providing quality education. I would like to argue the Barbro Johansson Model Girls’ Secondary is one of the brightest stars.
– Quality of education is about providing students with capabilities. Students need a solid skill base in Language and Mathematics, which provides the foundation for developing knowledge across many different subject areas such as literature, geography, history, sciences and many more. Quality is also about developing students cognitive skills such as inquiry, problem-solving and communication. Ethical skills and values are also part of a quality education fostering collaborative and open-minded students. Personal skills, too, such as self-confidence, initiative and persistence are qualities that build children’s ability to think and act effectively, stated the Swedish Ambassador Staffan Herrström.