Prof Mohamed noted that the trend is growing among younger learners.
Dar es Salaam. The National Examinations Council of Tanzania (Necta) has announced it will follow up on 19 pupils who used abusive language in the 2025 national assessment tests for Standard Four and Form Two, directing schools to take disciplinary action.
The move follows a rising trend of candidates using offensive language in examination scripts.
Necta said the affected pupils will not only have their results cancelled but will also face further disciplinary measures.
Results of the October 2025 Standard Four national assessment show that eight pupils used abusive language in their examination papers, while 11 Form Two candidates committed a similar offence.
Speaking on Friday, January 10, 2026, Necta Executive Secretary, Prof Said Mohamed, said the council will formally write to the heads of the affected schools since the pupils are still within the school system.
“We will write to the relevant authorities, including school heads and school boards or committees at the primary school level, and involve parents to ensure firm action is taken so that this behaviour is eliminated,” he said.
Prof Mohamed noted that the trend is growing among younger learners.
“When you look at our statistics, we are now starting to see abusive language even among Standard Four pupils. Last year we had five cases, but this year the number has risen to eight. Since these pupils are still in the education system, we must take corrective measures,” he added.
Education and parenting expert, Ms Asha Mwakalukwa, said the move was necessary as it shows the problem is not being treated as a minor offence but as a sign of moral decline among children.
She said the use of abusive language in examinations reflects broader challenges in upbringing and the environments children are exposed to, including unrestricted use of social media and inappropriate language in society.
“Instead of only cancelling results as punishment, schools follow-ups and involving parents will help identify the root causes of this behaviour and correct it early,” she said.
In another development, Necta has cancelled the results of 41 Standard Four pupils and 29 Form Two candidates who were found to have engaged in examination malpractice.
In the Standard Four assessment, a total of 1,324,970 pupils, equivalent to 88.91 percent, passed and qualified to proceed to Standard Five after obtaining grades A, B, C, and D, an increase of 2.51 percent compared with the 2024 performance.
For Form Two, 705,091 candidates, equivalent to 86.93 percent, qualified to proceed to Form Three after obtaining grades one to four, marking an increase of 1.52 percent compared with 2024.
In 2025, the Form Two assessment was conducted in two streams for the first time, including a practical skills stream.
Results show a 100 percent pass rate in engineering-related practical subjects, including electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, automotive studies, and information and communication technology.
In non-engineering practical subjects, including agriculture and food processing, hospitality and tourism, fashion and tailoring, sports and creative arts, eight out of 14 subjects recorded a 100 percent pass rate.
However, performance was poor in the Leather Goods and Footwear sector, where only three out of 20 candidates, equivalent to 15 percent, passed.
The issue of registered candidates failing to sit for examinations persisted in 2025.
A total of 77,689 Form Two candidates, equivalent to 8.74 percent, did not sit for the examination despite being registered.
At the Standard Four level, 1,583,686 pupils were registered; however, 93,309 candidates, equivalent to 5.89 percent, did not participate in the assessment.
