WHILE some school-going youths increasingly spend more time chatting on mobile phones or engage in internet betting games, the two best performers in the recently released 2016 Form Four National Examination results spent their time reading text books.
Both Alfred Shauri, the country's top
best performer from Feza Boys (in Dar es Salaam) and the second best and
top girl performer Cynthia Mchechu from St Francis (in Mbeya),
attributed their success to studying hard, determination and praying.
Alfred has positive things to say about
social media which is the most modern way of communicating and meeting
new friends but warns against spending too much time on them.
He said there is a lot of things that
can be learned from new technologies stressing that developing countries
should accept the positive changes brought about by the developments as
the new medium of communication. He adds: "The only problem is the time
invested in social media. Communication gadgets have a lot of things
that can build or destroy anyone.
It is true that spending more time on
social media will impact negatively on academic pursuits. I use them to
learn and communicate with friends, but I don't spend much time on
them," he explained. He added: "I am in boarding school but when I go
home I see how youths get engrossed in social media, often spending too
much time chatting to an extent that they do not interact with people or
go out with friends. This is the drawback in social media otherwise it
is a good tool for communication."
On romantic relationships, Alfred says
they can only interfere with studies if the students in question lose
focus on their academic priorities. "I know male students who have
girlfriends and they did very well in these exams getting division 1.
One needs to set their priorities and focus on them.
But if one dedicates all his or her time
on the relationship, then they will surely lose out in education," he
explains, adding that he doesn't have one. Alfred was born in Bukoba in
1998 but moved with his parents to Moshi where he enrolled at J.K.
Nyerere Primary School in 2006, but later he moved to Dar es Salaam with
his mother and other siblings when she was transferred. His father was
transferred to Iringa.
He joined Mlimani Primary School and in
his last year of primary education (2013), he got an opportunity to do
an inter-primary exams conducted by Feza Boys Secondary School and his
good performance earned him a slot at the prestigious school. "After
Standard Seven national exams I was selected to join Ilboru Secondary
School but I opted to join Feza Boys instead," he explained.
The third born in the family of four
children attributes his success in school to hard work, prayer and
determination to do better. Although he did not expect to lead
countrywide, he expected to do very well in the exams.
Alfred comes from a studious family, the
first born is studying at New York University, the second born sister
is in Mauritius doing her first year in university and his younger
sibling is in Isamilo secondary Mwanza.
Cynthia Mchechu from St Francis Girls in
Mbeya region, who emerged second best and top girl performer in the
country, attributes her success to studying hard and prayers since she
joined Form One.
"When we joined Form One we were advised
to start praying for the final exams, for both good health and the
exams. So I did that and continued through to Form Four and I believe
God had a hand in my passing the exams," she explains.
Cynthia was among top five students
throughout '0' levels and she was sure like Alfred that she would sail
through with good marks. "I knew I would pass the examination but not to
this extent of being the top girl and second overall in the country, "
she explained.
She added that the good relationship
between students and teachers at the school also contributed to the
success. Cynthia's parents played a major role in her success
encouraging and prodding her to work harder whenever she got lower
marks.
This increased her determination to do
better. Although she was a day scholar during lower primary education,
she asked her parents to take her to a boarding school and they did. "In
boarding school you get more time to study.
In boarding school there is no TV,
meaning more time for studying. It was my decision to go to boarding
school, I asked my parents to take me to a boarding school and I am
happy that they did," she added.
On social media and romantic
relationships, Cynthia says there's time for everything and although she
doesn't dislike the new technologies, she cautions that they can be
distracting. "The problem with a lot of us youths is that we forget that
we will have time to do these things in future.
Some sleep very late because of social
media. The important thing is to have determination; to set priorities
and work hard to achieve success, she says
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