Veta okays 24 curricula, 16 syllabuses in Kiswahili

Dar es Salaam.The Vocational Education Training Authority (Veta) has accredited 24 curricula and 16 syllabuses in Swahili.

The curricula and syllabuses were officially handed on Friday December 13 to deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Dr Ave Maria Semakafu.

It is expected to be used in teaching vocational skills at the Folk Development Colleges (FDC) in the country in a bid to further expand the scope and access to vocational education and training in the country.

Speaking during the handover Dr  Semakafu commended Veta  for completing the project and said that teaching in Swahili would enable more citizens to learn and better understand the courses.

She said there are many people who have opted to learn vocational skills in the informal system because of the challenge of the language of instruction, since many of them have difficulty in keeping up with the English language.

“We're going to industrial economy.  We have to accept changes.  The use of Swahili curriculums should be the first step.  There is much to improve.  We should open the doors to receive new ideas and to work on them.  Vocational skills have become a lifesaver for the entire Tanzanian community, even those who carry out informal activities in the streets out there," she said

She advised Veta to analyze and see if there should be a group of those who want to study in English for the purpose academic progression, but the general training should be provided in Kiswahili.

For his part, Veta Director General Dr PancrasBujulu said a total of 24 Curriculums and 16 Syllabuses have been translated into Swahili, of which 240 copies have been printed per book, thus making the total 9,600 printed copies of curriculums and syllabuses.