Tanzania: Kikwete Slams Teachers After Their Exam Failures- “Are They Qualified to Teach?”

By Adonis Byemelwa

In a striking revelation, former President Jakaya Kikwete once remarked on a controversial issue—teachers failing the exams they prepare for their students. This incident, which initially came to light in 2011, sparked national concern when teachers of primary school students were unexpectedly tested on the same exams their pupils took. The results were nothing short of shocking, raising serious questions about the competence of the teachers entrusted with educating Tanzania's future generation.

Kikwete, during a televised interview that has been circulating widely on social media, shared his thoughts on the matter. He explained how, during his time in office, Tanzania witnessed a troubling pattern of students failing their national exams, particularly in Standard Seven.

Concerned by this trend, he called a meeting with the head of the National Examination Council at the time, Prof. Joyce Ndalichako. Kikwete disclosed that Ndalichako revealed to him a startling fact: a significant number of teachers themselves were failing the very exams they expected their students to pass.

The experiment, initiated by Prof. Ndalichako, aimed to uncover the root causes of student failure. She tested the teachers with the same Standard Seven exam questions that their students had faced. The results were shocking—10% of the teachers failed miserably, despite having seen the questions before. Kikwete, with a mixture of frustration and humor, remarked, "Even after seeing the exams, they still failed terribly. It just shows that some of them might be teaching material they don’t fully understand."

This revelation sparked a nationwide debate on the quality of education in Tanzania. Parents and education stakeholders were quick to express their disappointment, with many questioning how teachers could adequately prepare students if they lacked mastery of the curriculum. "If the teachers can’t pass the very exams they administer, there is a fundamental problem," lamented one concerned parent.

Phillipo Mulugo, who served as the Deputy Minister of Education and Vocational Training at the time, publicly addressed the 2011 Standard Seven exam results. Speaking to the press in Dar es Salaam, Mulugo explained that the pass rate had plummeted, a situation that left education stakeholders across the country deeply concerned. The decline in student performance was dramatic and unprecedented, leading to widespread criticism of the education system.

In his statement, Mulugo acknowledged that the education system was grappling with numerous challenges. He described the exam results as a clear indicator of deep-rooted structural and operational issues within the sector. Alongside him was Selesine Gesimba, the Deputy Permanent Secretary, who appeared equally dismayed by the dismal results.

The results exposed significant flaws in the education system, with poor preparation among students and the lack of critical resources in schools contributing to poor performance. As well, there were concerns about inadequate teacher training and the disparity in infrastructure between urban and rural schools.

 The pressure mounted on the government to take swift action to address these challenges. Education stakeholders urged the government to invest more in the sector, ensuring that teachers received modern training and that students had conducive learning environments to improve future outcomes.

The failure of teachers to pass the same exams given to their students raised critical questions about the overall competence of educators in the country. Many education stakeholders and parents saw the incident as a reflection of the broader weaknesses in teacher training. "When teachers fail the exams, they are supposed to teach their students, we have a serious issue at hand," said one education expert, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive overhaul of the teacher training system.

The backlash from teachers was swift, with many feeling that they were being unfairly blamed for the students’ poor performance. Some teachers argued that the success of students could not be attributed solely to their teaching, citing inadequate infrastructure, lack of motivation, and students' intellectual capacities as contributing factors. Others took a more defensive stance, suggesting that Kikwete was making light of a serious issue because his children were educated in well-funded schools abroad, far removed from the challenges faced by local teachers.

One teacher from Arusha, Ngwanaeliza Paul, voiced his opinion, stating that sitting for an exam wasn't the problem. He explained that any exam required preparation, and that while teachers might be adept at guiding their students, preparing for an exam themselves was a different matter. “Just because you teach, doesn’t mean you can walk into an exam without preparation. It’s different,” he said, adding that teachers also needed time to review the material.

Bariki Urassa, a teacher from Kilimanjaro, echoed similar sentiments. He argued that exams were challenging regardless of age or experience and emphasized the importance of preparation. “We studied with older people in university, some with decades of experience, but they struggled, sometimes even resorting to cheating, despite the questions being similar to their daily work. It’s a matter of complacency,” Urassa remarked.

He further pointed out that teachers in public schools were at a higher risk of failing if subjected to the Standard Seven exams. He argued that many public-school teachers often relied on routine methods rather than adapting to the evolving demands of education. On the other hand, private schools, he noted, had stricter accountability measures. Teachers in these schools faced immediate dismissal if they underperformed.

The issue of teachers failing exams is not unique to Tanzania. In 2016, a similar scandal erupted in Kaduna State, Nigeria, when thousands of primary school teachers failed an exam meant for six and seven-year-olds. Nasir El-Rufai, the governor of Kaduna at the time, revealed that 21,780 teachers failed to score the required 75% pass mark in the exam. In response, El-Rufai swiftly removed the teachers from their positions, announcing plans to hire 25,000 qualified teachers to replace them.

"The initial recruitment of teachers was politically motivated," El-Rufai was quoted as saying in Nigeria’s Daily Trust newspaper. "We are committed to reforming this system by hiring competent teachers to restore the dignity of education in our state." His decisive action sparked widespread debate, with some applauding the move as necessary for the future of education in Kaduna, while others expressed concerns about the government’s ability to fill the teaching vacancies promptly.

The question remains—why do teachers, who teach these subjects daily, fail the very exams they are expected to administer? Several factors could contribute to this. For one, teachers might not have had sufficient time to prepare for the sudden exams, especially if their schedules were already packed with teaching responsibilities. Moreover, the teaching methods they rely on might not align with the requirements of national exams, highlighting a disconnect between classroom instruction and standardized testing.

In countries like Singapore, teachers are regularly evaluated to ensure they maintain high professional standards. Dr. Pasi Sahlberg, an education expert from Australia, emphasizes the importance of teachers possessing deep knowledge of the curriculum to help their students succeed. "Good teachers must have a profound understanding of the subjects they teach. Without that, students are bound to fail," Sahlberg explained. He further noted that teachers lacking sufficient expertise not only harm their students' performance but also undermine the entire education system.

In neighboring Kenya, a similar system known as the Teacher Proficiency Test (TPT) has been used to evaluate teachers. While it has helped identify highly skilled educators, it has also revealed that teachers without adequate preparation often struggle to pass these assessments.

Professor John Hattie of the University of Melbourne believes that continuous evaluation of teachers is crucial for improving education standards. "There is no success in education without capable teachers," he said. However, Hattie also warned against using exam failure as the sole measure of a teacher's competency. Factors such as exam preparation, academic conditions, and work environments should be considered in the broader assessment of teacher effectiveness.

While the failure of teachers in Tanzania and other countries raises alarms, it should not be viewed as an isolated measure of teacher quality. It serves as a reminder of the pressing need for systemic reforms in teacher training and education delivery.