Over 1.5 million pupils sit for SFNA exams today

DAR ES SALAAM: OVER 1.5 million pupils across mainland Tanzania are sitting for the Standard Four National Assessment (SFNA) today, marking the first examination to be administered under the revised 2014 Education and Training Policy (23rd edition) and the newly improved curriculum.

The National Examinations Council of Tanzania (NECTA) Executive Secretary, Professor Said Ally Mohamed told reporters in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday that a total of 1,582,140 pupils are participating in the SFNA, with approximately 48.31 per cent being boys and 51.69 per cent being girls.

He said among the 5,750 pupils with special needs participating in the SFNA, 1,164 have low vision, 111 have vision impairment, 1,161 have hearing impairment, 1,673 have physical impairment and 1,641 have intellectual impairment.

According to Prof Mohammed, out of the 1,582,140 candidates registered this year, 1,475,637, equivalent to 93.27 per cent, will sit for the exams in Kiswahili, while 106,503, equivalent to 6.73 per cent, will do so in English, which has been their medium of instruction.

The council chief stated that pupils will be assessed in six core subjects, which include Science, Mathematics, Geography and Environment, Arts and Sports, Kiswahili, English Language and Tanzanian History and Ethics.

ALSO READ: SADC team lands in Tanzania to observe the General Elections

He added that there will be three optional subjects including French, Arabic and Chinese, from which a student may choose only one.

NECTA warned candidates, examination committees, invigilators, school owners, school principals and the community against engaging in any form of planning or implementing fraudulent schemes, stressing that stern measures would be taken against culprits.

Prof Mohammed said the council would not hesitate to take action against anyone involved in cheating or swindling in schools On the candidates’ side, he said the council believes teachers have prepared them well throughout four years of primary education.

Therefore, it expects students to sit the exams under the laid down rules.

“The council does not expect to see any student involved in fraudulent practices. If any student is identified committing fraud, his or her results will be cancelled in line with examination regulations,” he insisted.

The NECTA boss also stressed that school owners and principals must not interfere with the duties of invigilators throughout the exam period, warning that the council will not hesitate to cancel any examination centre that compromises the integrity of the national exams.

“The exams are conducted in 20,517 schools in Tanzania Mainland. Committees should ensure that the environments of examination centres are safe, stable and prevents loopholes that could lead to fraud. They must also guarantee the security of selected centres in line with council guidelines,” Prof Mohammed said.

He added: “Invigilators should also observe the rights of pupils with special needs, including a 20-minute extension for mathematics and a 10-minute extension for other subjects, as directed by the council.”

NECTA further called on all stakeholders to report to the relevant authorities whenever they detect individuals or groups engaging in exam fraud.