Improving reading and writing skills

Reading, writing and arithmetic skill-building for early childhood learners as stipulated by the new reading curriculum is set to get a major boost through Tusome Pamoja project.

The program which is supported by USAID aims at supplementing the government’s efforts to ensure all early grade learners’ skills are improved by the end of project (2021). Previously, it was common for children to complete seven years of primary education without mastery in reading and writing skills. Teachers in Ruvuma Region are sharpening their skills in teaching reading, writing and counting (3Rs) skills.

They say the program is helping them improve the quality of teaching and learning instructions in early grades in all public schools in the region.

According to Ruvuma Reginal Education Officer (REO) Kinderu Gharama, since 2013, half of the pupils in Standard Three could not read, write and solve simple arithmetic.

He said teachers’ concerted efforts coupled with good strategic plans at the national and local levels, the academic performance in the region is likely to improve.

Mr Kinderu hinted that the government in collaboration with other stakeholders are working hard to deliver quality education in the region.

Mr Kinderu said in the past only teachers who were about to retire had enough skills on how to teach reading, writing and arithmetic but recently the government has decided to ensure even young teachers are motivated to teach children in these classes.

“Now through this project we succeed to see the pupils who enter grade three know how to read and write and count. We have enough teaching and learning materials in place. Teachers have no reason to cry for lack of teaching aids,” he said.

Teachers are also involved in effective engagement of parents and the community in Education through Parents and Teachers Partnership (PTP) so that they gety to know who are dealing with their children.

Initial areas of focus for parents and broader community are children’ welfare and parent support in ensuring success in 3Rs instructions together with supporting teachers as they work to improve teaching and learning environment.

REO is challenging teachers and pupils who benefits from this program to come up with impressive results in their national examinations. He said, despite the fact that some schools are lacking classrooms, plans are on the card to rectify the problem. “We have already noted this problem and we will construct enough classrooms according to the increased rate of enrolment,” he said.

However the Municipal Education Officer Editha Kagomba said despite having good plans to ensure children receives quality education, since 2013 there has been cases of some pupils completing Standard 7 without being able to read and write.

She said it the reason the Ministry of President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government and the concerned Non Governmental Organisations conducted teachers training on how to teach reading, writing and arithmetic. to 152 teachers from 76 schools.

“We are trying to solve this problem. Our target is to ensure that no child completes primary education without being able to read and write,” Ms Kagomba said.

How do teachers find the programme

Sarah Luambano, a Grade Two teacher from Mashujaa primary School said through the programme, she had seen dramatic improvement as a good number of students are beginning to read, write and count while at lower levels.

“I used to face a number of challenges in ensuring schoolchildren follow lessons. I can now see the light because I have enough skills which help me to ensure the slow learners achieve in my lesson,” she said adding…

“In those days I had not attained meaningful skills on how to teach 3Rs. I also commend the government for seeing the necessity of reducing the number of subjects at lower classes. This will make children to easily master the lessons, unlike in the past when they were being overworked.”

A Standard One teacher at Buma Primary School, Agnes Nicholas from said the training has been of immense value in sharpening her teaching skills.

“I now know that children are supposed to learn simple concepts of sounds before embarking on complex words by segmenting and blending simple sounds. I can competently handle even the slow learners, thanks to the training u,” said Ms Nicholas

Ms Nicholas said singing, vowels, word and consonant is one of the methods used in teaching. It helps a child to easily remember and grasp the concepts of sounds, especially as they learn how to read and write,” She says.

The Ruvuma USAID/ Tusome Pamoja Regional chief Advisor, Mr Steven Msabaha said the 5-year-old programme supports the improvement of
lifelong learning skills, defined as: mastery of early grade reading, writing and arithmetic.

He said the programme is conducted in four regions namely: Ruvuma, Mtwara, Iringa, Morogoro and Zanzibar.

The program aims at collaborating with the government in imparting teaching skills to teachers and availing them with teaching and learning materials in a fresh bid to improve the quality of education in the country.

“The programme focuses on ensuring that schoolchildren at lower levels are able to read for comprehension and be able to at least read simple sentences and solve simple arithmetic,” he said.

In Ruvuma Region, the programme had been implemented in eight municipal councils, including: Mbinga, Nyasa, Mbinga Town Council, Namtumbo, Songea, Madaba and Tunduru. They reach all 766 registered government schools

“The programme implemented in Namtumbo, which has 106 primary schools, Songea municipal 80, Songea district 69, Tunduru 149 Nyasa 106, Mbinga town 70 and Madaba which have 26,”said Mr Msabaha.

According to Mr Msabaha, under the programme, 766 teachers have been trained on how to teach 3Rs in lower classes. The 185 education officers had been trained on how to improve capacity building to their subordinates

He noted that about 2,445 teachers in Ruvuma region had benefited from the training.

“The aim is to support their national goals by ensuring meaningful learning in lower classes where reading, writing, and arithmetic are given much emphasis.

The training involve all municipal education officers with their groups, school leaders and local education officers

Meanwhile the Project’s Deputy Chief of Party Felix Mbogella said USAID/Tusome Pamoja is Working with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST), President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PO- RALG), Zanzibar Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT) and Regional Secretariats in all 4 regions. USAID/ Tusome Pamoja targets more than 1.4 million children and 26,000 teachers in 4 regions in mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.

The project aims to further the national goal of an effective, programme of early grade reading, writing, and arithmetic. It identifies and takes forward existing initiatives in the area of pre-primary and 3Rs and further develops scalable, cost-effective interventions in its 5 target regions that will benefit the country as a whole.

In alignment with the various learning materials, a continuous professional development activity builds teachers’ knowledge and skills and application with a focus on school-based communities of practice.

In support of continuous professional development, school leaders and local education coordinators receive professional development capacity building to lead, facilitate and mentor school and cluster learning structures.