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Govt slaps ban on repeating for Std IV, Form II failures
2008-04-24 10:34:30
By Lydia Shekighenda, Dodoma
The government yesterday announced that all students who will fail to meet required marks in Form Two and Standard Four examinations will not be allowed to repeat classes.
Education and Vocational Training minister Prof. Jumanne Maghembe told the House here that such students would be assisted in areas they found difficult while proceeding with their studies.
Minister Maghembe was responding to a question by Job Ndugai (Kongwa, CCM) who had wanted to know the necessity of Standard Four exams and the suitability of the criteria which needed pupils to pass each subject instead of estimating the pass mark for all subjects.
``These examinations have been considered a burden to parents, especially when students repeat classes, although in some societies it was taken as a relief,`` he said.
He cited pastoralist and agriculturalist societies as examples of those which viewed failure of their children as a relief because of school fees and also because they could now assist in their daily activities.
Prof. Maghembe said both Form Two and Standard Four examinations were important despite a number of problems encountered, such as shortage of teachers, classrooms and other difficulties encountered by students.
He explained that the aim of Standard Four exams was to make prior national assessment for pupils` development at primary school level.
``From now onwards Form Two and Standard Four examinations will assess the level of teaching and learning and students will not repeat classes.
Instead they will be assisted in areas they failed while proceeding with their studies,`` Maghembe said.
He elaborated that the examinations were important in evaluating the success and development of pupils in order to know whether the goals set in teaching and learning were being achieved including the pupils` ability to read, write and count.
Prof. Maghembe said his ministry would continue improving the education sector in order to achieve the intended goals.
Meanwhile, the government has said that it would provide loans to assistant lecturers and tutorial assistants employed in higher learning institutions in the country to allow them to pursue master`s degree programmes.
Prof. Maghembe said the government plan aimed at increasing the number of lecturers in higher learning institutions.
He was responding to a supplementary question by George Simbachawene (Kibakwe, CCM) who had wanted to know why the Higher Learning Education Student Loan Board did not give loans to master`s degree students.
Simbachawene was of the view that if such students were provided with loans they could increase the number of lecturers in higher learning institutions in the country.
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