Following historically low performances by students, the Tanzanian Education Ministry has announced an overhaul of the grading system for the Forms Four and Six national examinations. The new system will make a passing mark easier to obtain, and some educators and politicians fear educational standards will weaken and the country will become less competitive internationally.
The new grading system was announced after a nationwide inquiry into last year’s performance on the two secondary school exams. More than 65% of students failed the 2012 tests, resulting in the highest percentage of failures ever in Tanzania.
The new system will lower the threshold to achieve a passing grade, allowing students who score 75% or higher to receive an A, and 60% or higher to receive a B+. Only students who score under 20% will fail. This will make it easier for students to be eligible for admittance to universities and vocational schools.
“We need to tell the objective truth that failure is failure,” says Jovin Batulaki, a retired teacher. “Reducing the pass mark means our students will not compete internationally.”
Other educational experts have echoed the sentiment, and stressed that the Tanzanian government should be focused on increasing the quality of its education system, not manipulating grades. Politicians and administrators have noted that teacher training is inadequate and students often lack basic materials like books.
According to Seif Bashemera, a secondary school headmaster, under the new grading system students may be able to graduate to the next form without being adequately prepared for it.
“What is needed is to invest in the training materials, to pay teachers well, to build laboratories, and train teachers to the accepted standards, but not to reduce the pass mark,” he told Sabahi News.
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Written by Carla Drumhiller Smith