DODOMA: THE next batch of teachers who will be recruited in both primary and secondary schools will be subjected to a special examination, in a move seeking to have the best teachers who will offer quality education to learners.
The revelation was made here by the Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Adolph Mkenda, who insisted that this is a part of the implementation of the Education and Training Policy of 2014 (2023 Edition).
He spoke when he officiated at a consultative meeting between the Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) and University institutions to reflect on the Education and Training Policy 2014 (2023 Edition) and Curricula for Basic Education and their implications on the education and training activities in university institutions in Tanzania.
The consultative meeting, which was attended by the top management of universities drawn from across the country, was organised by TCU in collaboration with the ministry.
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Speaking at the meeting, Prof Mkenda said that with the new policy, the newly recruited teachers are supposed to go for a one-year internship programme, after which they are supposed to sit for a special examination and that successful candidates will land a permanent job in the public service.
“We want to see teachers going through a process like some other professions including lawyers, accountants and doctors, among others,’’ he said adding: “If other professionals ought to be employed after they have been subjected to special professional examinations, why shouldn’t teachers whose core business is to offer knowledge to others follow the same path?’’
According to the minister, the new move also seeks to get rid of a notion that the teaching profession is only dedicated to those who failed in schools and those who fail to secure employment opportunities in other cadres.
“This is why the government plans to recruit new teachers by using an interview system to acquire the best teachers and getting rid of the perception that teaching is a job to be done as the last option,” Prof Mkenda stated.
The minister said the new system will start with the next batch of teachers who will be employed to teach in both primary and secondary schools.
At the consultative meeting, TCU Executive Director, Professor Charles Kihampa, said that his institution convened the top management of higher learning institutions drawn across the country in order to look at how best to initiate the process for reviewing the university curricula.
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According to him, come 2025/2026, all universities countrywide, in collaboration with stakeholders in the sector, will review their education curricula. Also, during the meeting yesterday, various topics were presented.
The dons sat to discuss key changes in the curricula for Basic and Teacher Education as well as their implications for university education and training.
Furthermore, a report on the quality of university education in Tanzania was presented. At the meeting, TCU presented a topic on expectations of the commission from university institutions following the review of the Education and Training Policy and Curricula for Basic Education.