Photo: The Citizen
By Louis Kolumbia
Dar es Salaam — The Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE) is reviewing a number of error-laden Standard One textbooks.
Revised versions of the textbooks are scheduled to be released next month, TIE has confirmed.
Early last year,
TIE issued textbooks titled Najifunza Kuhesabu (I am learning to count),
Najifunza Kuandika (I am learning to write), Najifunza Afya na
Mazingira (I am learning health and the environment) and Najifunza
Michezo na Sanaa (I am learning sports and arts), which were later found
to contain errors and other anomalies.
TIE Director
General Elia Kibga told The Citizen that the institute had decided to
review the textbooks and that the input of various stakeholders had been
considered ahead of the release of corrected versions. "We are in the
final stages of issuing the textbooks afresh. Hopefully, corrected
versions that will replace the 2015 publications will be ready in
February," he said.
The Citizen has
also established that the textbooks were not produced simultaneously
with teachers' guidebooks, contrary to a government directive that
requires each textbook to be accompanied by a guidebook for tutors.
As a result,
content that was supposed to be in teachers' guidebooks is included in
textbooks, specifically Najifunza Afya na Mazingira and Najifunza
Michezo na Sanaa.
Also, in Najifunza
Kuandika, pupils are directed to write a two-page essay as part of an
exercise. This is considered well beyond the ability of children who are
six or seven years old, thus raising doubt as to whether the author
really understands the target group.
In Najifunza Afya
na Mazingira, hair in a diagram of the human body is indicated as "head"
instead of the entire part from the neck upwards, something which could
mislead pupils. In the same textbook, a piece of soap is erroneously
described as an essential item for cleaning the mouth.
In Najifunza Kuhesabu, a vacuum flask is interchangeably called "thermos flask" and "bottle".
In the same
textbook, the use of "ondoa" (remove) instead of the traditional "toa"
(subtract) and "ongeza" instead of "jumlisha" have raised questions as
to whether terms used in mathematics for primary schools have changed.
Although "ongeza" and "jumlisha" both mean "add", the latter is the
traditional Kiswahili term used in mathematics.
Furthermore, many
of the illustrations in the textbooks are too small, although there are
some blank pages at the end, which points to poor design.
Another anomaly is
that the textbooks have been printed using glossy paper instead of paper
recommended for educational materials.
"Glossy paper is
not allowed for textbooks because it has higher refractive levels that
could damage the eyes of pupils who read such books for a long time,"
said an expert who asked not to be named.
Dr Kibga told The
Citizen that revised versions of the textbooks would be free of all
shortcomings noted in earlier editions, adding that the aim was to
provide pupils with learning materials of the highest quality.
He accused private
publishing firms of "exaggerating" quality issues with textbooks
published by TIE after the government banned such companies from
publishing educational materials.
"These are normal
errors...it's nothing unusual in publishing, but private publishing
companies have blown them out of proportion. It's a case of sour grapes.
The errors are not a serious as those in the 2.8 million textbooks
which the Education minister ordered destroyed when she visited Mbeya
recently," he said.
The Deputy
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology
and Vocational Training, Dr Leonard Akwilapo, dismissed claims that the
textbooks contained numerous glaring errors.
He also said there
was no need for teachers' guidebooks because the ministry had conducted
orientation training for 33,000 Standard One teachers across the country
on a new approach to teaching newly enrolled pupils.
Dr Akwilapo agreed
that the quality of paper used for the textbooks needed to be improved,
but refuted reports that the books were printed on glossy paper.
"The books were not
printed using glossy paper, which is not allowed for educational
materials, but I agree with you that the paper used has marginally
higher refractive levels, but this is not detrimental to pupils'
health," he said.
Regarding the use
of "ondoa" instead of "toa" and "ongeza" instead of "jumlisha" in
Najifunza Kuhesabu, Dr Akwilapo said such words had deliberately been
used to simplify learning by using objects such as mangoes.
"Generally, I don't
see quality problems with the textbooks. The Educational Material
Approval Committee was disbanded for failing to detect errors in
textbooks published by private companies, a responsibility TIE is
undertaking with commendable competence," he said.
Dr Akwilapo added
that over 400 textbook titles published by private publishers were
vetted last month, and only 12 were found to have met the required
quality standards, showing that books published by private companies
were of "a much poorer quality" than those published by TIE.
In another
development, Dr Akwilapo dismissed claims that the 2.8 million textbooks
destroyed in Mbeya belonged to TIE, saying the company behind the books
was Yuko's Enterprises (EA) Company Limited
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