Names of newly selected Form 5 students out today

Dar es Salaam. The selection results of students joining Form Five of Advanced Level Secondary Education are expected to be announced today as the government moves to increase speed in the delayed process.

The spokesman for the ministry of Education and Vocational Training, Mr Bunyanzu Ntambi, yesterday told The Citizen over the phone that they will convene a press conference on the matter today.

Deputy minister Philipo Mulugo earlier told The Citizen, however, that the release of the selection results was not delayed, noting that Advanced Level Secondary schools were yet to open.

“We haven’t delayed. Currently, it’s students for the Ordinary Level of Secondary education who have started classes, for students of forms five and six, these usually open school in the third week of July,” he clarified.

Mr Mulugo was speaking barely a day after The Citizen’s sister paper Mwananchi published a story over the dilemma surrounding this year’s selection of the students to join Form Five.

Contrary to what Mr Mulugo noted, it was learned that usually students at that level report to schools two weeks before their Form Six counterparts -- who, however, started classes on Monday this week. So far names of students joining Form Five and the schools to which they have been posted are yet to be published.

The custom was to select students early so as to give parents, students and schools ample time to make the necessary preparations.

Mr Ntambi was quoted as saying since the 2012 examination results were delayed after the nullification of the first results, the selection for students to join Form Five was also delayed.

In April, the government cancelled Form Four results after a probe team formed by Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda established various shortcomings in the marking of the examinations.

In May, the government announced new results which slightly improved the performance of some students.

The delay has also affected privately-run schools as there are no students to join them at that level todate.

Most heads of secondary schools have found themselves in a dilemma not knowing how they will manage to catch up with the syllabi schedules should the delay extend further.

However, some education experts who were reached for comment over possible implications dispelled fears that there would be negative impacts.

Many said that during such moments, there will always be the possibility of rescheduling lengths of school terms.