Opinion
Analysis
Exam shortfalls, a fresh
challenge to NECTA
The National Examinations Council of Tanzania (NECTA) last week released
examinations results for Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education Examination
(ACSEE), Grade A Teachers Certificate Examination (GATCE), Diploma in Education
Examination (DEE) and Full Technician Certificate Examination (FTCE).
Generally, the results were satisfactory compared to last year. The quality of
performance for ACSEE for instance slightly improved as the percentage went up
by two per cent.
We take this opportunity to congratulate the best schools whose students have
had outstanding performance in the May examinations. These include Mzumbe,
Ilboru, Kifungilo, Mawenzi, Kibaha, Malangali, Agape, Sanu and Songea secondary
schools. We have to give a pat on the back for the diligence and hard work they
have shown in maintaining the highest standards of performance.
NECTA on the other hand has endeavoured to maintain the highest level of
professionalism in handling all matters pertinent to examinations including
administering, marking, analysing and eventually releasing the examination
results.
At least this time around there were no cases of examinations leakages as it
used to be in the past. This manifests that NECTA is striving hard to further
improve its activities and services, reaching international standards.
However as has been the case in the recent past, the examinations that were done
in May were not without shortfalls. NECTA’s Executive Secretary, Dr. Emmanuel
Nkumbi admitted that they had to inevitably conceal the results of 128 students
who sat for the examinations without paying examinations fee. This was perhaps
surprising news to many people; so many questions have been asked as to how the
students could manage to enter the examinations rooms without settling the dues
and under whose permission they stood for.
The results for some 423 students were reportedly lacking continuous assessment
both in ACSEE, GATCE, DEE, FTCE. The results were withheld until the heads of
respective schools, colleges and institutes submitted the missing continuous
assessment data, together with genuine reasons for not having submitted them at
the scheduled time.
In another incident five private candidates sat for examinations which they did
not register for, again these will have to present reasons for their decision.
16 other ACSEE candidates were reportedly added in the attendance lists while
the examinations were in progress. The NECTA maintains that the results of these
candidates will be released after giving proof that they qualified to sit for
ACSEE.
We believe that this is the biggest challenge for NECTA, hoping that there will
not be such shortcomings in the following examinations.
Top clubs’ chance to make
amends
Tanzanian soccer giants once again meet this Saturday at the National Stadium in
their second match of the Super Eight stage of the Vodacom Premier League.
Unfortunately, the teams meet at a time when the majority soccer lovers have
turned their attention to European soccer after the local scene failed to
generate much excitement.
It is a challenge for the two teams as the new attention means, their matches
have lost their past importance and the much sought gate collections may thin
out in the process.
Although there have been some remarkable changes to improve the situation, it
will take time for these changes to yield fruits. Both the clubs and the
governing body, the Football Association of Tanzania (FAT), must take visionary
steps when implementing the amendments of the new constitutional changes.
Since mid 2003, FAT ordered all clubs in the Premier League to have their youth
sides so as to groom players for future senior sides.
We saw that move as the best decision FAT ever made at a time when our soccer
needs to move fast to catch up with that of the developed countries.
If Simba and Young Africans had been in Arusha where the region staged Under 16
and Under 18 youth tournaments, they could understand the logic behind FAT and
the National Sports Council’s emphasis on youth sides.
For Young Africans, the case is too apparent since they know very well how Coach
Victor-trained youth side became the club’s and Tanzania’s best team that
enabled the country to play in African National Championship finals in Lagos in
1980.
While wishing the two clubs a good match, we hope they play a kind of a game
that will help restore their lost glory. A good game of well-trained players
will surely win back the disillusioned fans.
Domestic human trafficking, a growing dilemma
By Evarist Kagaruki
Last week, we observed that Tanzania was one of several African countries
earmarked for help by the US in dealing with the problem of human trafficking.
We also mentioned that the size and gravity of the problem were not known to the
public, since official information about it were not available, though many know
it is there and has been growing with the passage of time.
Today I want to highlight the problem of human trafficking in the country. I
will do that by presenting two scenarios of human trafficking trends that we may
all be familiar with: one is about human trafficking practised within the
country, and the other is cross-border trafficking in human beings (the later
will be discussed next week).
Human trafficking within our borders is a common practice that most of us are
aware of, but few may know that it is criminal. We all know for example that
young girls between 13 and 16 years of age are recruited in their home villages
to work as housemaids in towns and cities, notably Tanzania. Many of these girls
are standard seven leavers who could not be selected for secondary education.
Popular regions, which churn out girls for chattel in towns, are Mbeya, Iringa
and Dodoma (particularly Kondoa District).
There are special agents (based in towns) who do the recruitment, and these are
respectable people who are well known in the villages of recruitment. In most
cases they are reasonably educated and good mannered people who can be trusted
(even by most suspicious parent) with someone’s daughter. Some of them are
well-established in credible business, and this gives parents and relatives of
the girls hunted for recruitment, more confidence that their daughters will be
in “safe hands”.
Most of the older girls know in advance that they will be going to work in town
as domestic servants. What they normally don’t know is that there are no
generous salaries for them, and that the work they are going to do is not
rewarding as promised by the agents. But others, especially the young ones are
conned into chattel life by the sweet–tongued agents who cheat the parents that
the only work their daughters would be asked to do for a “handsome pay” is to
look after the toddlers in a certain wealthy family, while waiting to be
enrolled into school. Many will have no idea that they will end up working as
domestic servants.
The agents will promise the girls education and a string of attractions awaiting
them in town. The parents, who are genuinely concerned for their daughters’
future, will innocently let them go. The mere thought of their daughters going
to school for further education and opening up their future prospects in life is
in itself a sufficient incentive to grant them permission to go.
The recruiting agents, having identified their prey and made verbal agreement
with the parents, will pay for the girls’ bus fares and arrange for their
temporary residence in town, while fixing employment. The agents get the
commission from both the prospective employer and the girl who has secured a
job. The latter may pay later in agreed instalments, since her salary is a
paltry sum.
By and large, employers of these young girls are senior civil servants (some of
whom may be responsible for enforcing the laws which prohibit child labour),
executives of parastatals and NGO’s and other organizations, middle-class self
employed people and public employees, wealthy businessmen etc.
Although not all employers mistreat their domestic servants, many are
unscrupulous and engage in a pattern of abuses which make life for the young
girls very miserable indeed. Some of the girls are grossly underpaid (receiving
less than one tenth of the statutory minimum wage) and would have their small
salaries withheld for months without reasonable grounds; some are not allowed to
have their own rooms and sleep on the floor; others are sexually abused and get
pregnant or are infected with HIV - the virus that causes AIDS.
And all these vices take place against a background of backbreaking chores,
which the maids have to perform around the house from just–before dawn until
midnight!
Girls who can’t endure the mistreatment at the hands of their employers and are
not ready to continue with work, report to the agent who arranges for
“transfer”(by swapping the aggrieved girls with fresh arrivals from the village)
or, in a worst-case scenario, for dispatch of the offended girls back to their
villages. That is the plight of the victims of domestic human trafficking in the
country.