Those
who knew the Institute of Education (IE) which was part of the
University of Dar es Salaam will wish to know the fate of the curriculum
developers who shaped the Institute.
Many will recall the establishment of the Institute in 1964 at the
University hill to coordinate teacher training activities in teachers’
training colleges throughout the country.
It occupied the Sisal House now, the homestead for the School of
Education, formally known as the Faculty of Education, University of Dar
es Salaam. Lecturers working at the Institute were given the post of
co-ordinator for relevant subjects.
When the Institute became a parastatal under the Ministry of
Education in 1975, the lecturers/co-ordinators acquired a new name
called curriculum developer.
The curriculum developers were given the responsibility of doing
curriculum development for the nation as well as conducting research and
evaluation in particular subjects as it was deemed necessary.
They were also charged with the task of conducting seminars for
teachers regarding changes in syllabuses and books caused by innovations
and globalization. They were also given the mandate to advise the
Government through subject panels which included members from various
government sectors.
Some of the curriculum developers, who were at ‘the hill’ before it
moved to Mikocheni B, will recall the rigorous activities that used to
take place monthly and sometimes weekly.
These meetings enabled curriculum developers work cooperatively.
The new curriculum developers learned a lot from the experienced ones.
Some of the curriculum developers had undergone training in Ibadan,
Nigeria, conducted by the African Curriculum Organization (ACO).
Moreover, the curriculum developers got the opportunity to attend a
curriculum development conference hosted by the Institute and supported
by UNESCO and ACO in 1978.
We know that we have lost a number of curriculum developers through
death, retirement, exit for greener pastures and repatriation to
Government and other organizations.
We cannot recover the dead, but we can utilize what they left
behind. To what extent do we do that? Have their work been documented
for future reference? Can we count on TIE’s Resource Centre? Anyway do
we use it? Our Fourth Phase President Jakaya Kikwete once questioned
whether some historical events and documents are preserved for the
future generations.
Some of these works were published in the Tanzania Educational Journal (TEJ) and Studies in Education. Do people read them?
We are still in memories of the following that made the Institute famous, but have lost their lives:
.Mr Anza amen Lema, the first Tanzania Director of IE. He was once the Headmaster for Ilboru Secondary School.
Mr Conrad Gunze, the former Curriculum Developer for Biology and
also former Head of Department for the School Equipment Development Unit
(SEDU)..Mr Mgema, Curriculum Developer for Biology and custodian of the
defunct Unified Science. Steven Mbogo, the former Curriculum Developer
for Technical Education, also the pioneer of modular approach method of
teaching in Tanzania schools,Mr Mbega, former Curriculum Developer for
Engineering Science.
Samuel Kapinga, former Curriculum Developer for Music.
Mr Hillary Chowo, the former Curriculum Developer for Pre-School.
Mr Joram Matulu, the former Primary Science Curriculum Developer.
John Evarist Massawe, the former teacher EDUCATION Coordinator and Chemistry expert.
Mr Charles Kalugula former Head of Department for Publications and
later became the Director for Planning and Policy of the Ministry of
Education and Vocational Training (MOEVT).
Mr Laurent Masota, the former Curriculum Developer for Primary School Mathematics.
Mrs Mary Isaria Kimambo who was one of the pioneers of IE in charge
of Home Economics and retired to start KAPSEL Educational Publishers.
She died 0n 26th October, 2012.
We pay tribute to all of them and hope their effort to educate the country will be remembered for ever.
We know that the following are still serving the nation in various education circles:
. Mr Elibariki Moshi left the Institute to start the Children’s
Book Project (CBP) for Tanzania and later establish a company known as
Mture Educational Publishers Ltd.
. Professor Agnes Njabili left the Institute to teach in Botswana
and Namibia. She worked briefly at NECTA and is now lecturing at UDSM.
Dr Sydney Mkuchu, Dr Edith Mhehe and Dr Peter Pembe joined the Open University of Tanzania (OUT).
Mr Lauren Sago retired at TIE and later joined UDSM.
Dr Frida Tungaraza left TIE for PhD studies and joined UDSM upon return.
Mr Valentine Bukozo, the former Physics Curriculum Developer, left TIE to teach in a teachers’ college in Botswana.
Mr Alinanini Mwambogela retired from TIE and started a school in Mbeya.
Dr Naomi Katunzi, one of the former directors of TIE and founder of
the Complementary Basic Education in Tanzania (COBET), left TIE to
become Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Vocational
Training and later served as PS for the Ministry of Science, Technology
and Higher Education. She is now a consultant and lecturing at St John
University in DSM.
MR William Sabaya, the former Director of TIE in the early nineties, was recalled to MOEVT and later worked in TCU.
Mr Ismail Nkya who left IE in the late eighties and joined MANTEP
in Bagamoyo. He is now at Sebastian Kolowa Memorial University.
Mrs Dorothy Mbilinyi retired at TIE and joined the Tanzania Gender Network Programme (TGNP).
Dr Emmanuel Nkumbi joined NECTA as Executive Secretary and later
retired at the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training to start a
secondary school in Boko Basihaya.
The list is far from complete. Many more have done something but
space does not allow us to describe their contribution. However, we
would like to know the fate of a few renowned past curriculum developers
such as Mrs Maria Chipa, Mrs Febronia Mlekwa, Mr Raphael Kiyao, Mrs
Lydia Mzaba, Mrs Winiel Mweta, Mr Theobald Mvungi, Mr Samuel Kisanga, Dr
Bayona, Mrs Alice Rugumyamheto, Mrs Happiness Kaduma, Mr Stephen
Katende, Mr Ferdinand Lutatenekwa, Mr T. Kamwela, Mr Alois Mbunda, Mr
Samuel Kisanga, Mr Zakayo Msengi, Elly Makundi and Victor Msinde. Even
our former Ambassador, Honourable Gertrude Mongela served briefly at IE
before joining higher Government posts.
It might be that some of these past curriculum developers are still struggling individually to make ends meet.
No genuine efforts have been directed to help them resurface. Maybe
they should blow their own trumpets, shouldn’t they? Mr Benjamin Mkapa
said recently in Dodoma that some of the retirees have been neglected or
forgotten by the society.
The former Director General of TIE, Dr PSD Mushi ( who resigned
recently from TIE), in his article published in the Tanzania Educational
Journal (TEJ Vol. 3 of 2011) pointed out ‘Curriculum Development does
not form one of the 10 ISCO-88 professional occupations’. No doubt that
it is not given prominence.
Some of us insist that they should be helped since their
contribution is still needed. We should use some extra energy to find
where they are. It was a bit disappointing to note that out of the lot;
only Dr Frida Tungaraza attended the ESACO conference held at the
Millennium Tower Hotel, Kijitonyama in 2008. Many more could have been
invited. They need to be in sighted.
Maybe some of them would have come up to participate in the current
issue regarding National Curriculum debated unsuccessfully in the just
ended January 2013 parliamentary session. Where are they?
If for example, we could succeed in putting them in a specifically
arranged conference or symposium, what a collection of intellectuals
that would be! I once mentioned this idea to Mr Godson Lema currently
working at TIE and Mr Elibariki Moshi of Mture Educational Publishers
and they agreed with me.
Let us try it.Please note that I have not been able to describe
exactly the position of some of the people mentioned. I apologise for
any inconvenience caused. The purpose is to learn more where applicable
and this forum remains open for extra information.
* The author is a retired Chief Curriculum Developer of TIE and can be reached by phone 0784498893.
SOURCE:
THE GUARDIAN
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