By Hamad Rashid / The Loyal Media.
In commemoration of World Teachers’ Day 2024, the Teachers Development Support Cluster, from the Regional Education Learning Initiative (RELI Africa – Tanzania), held a debate aimed at hearing the voices and learning of successful teachers after being given on-the-job training by various RELI stakeholders.
The commemorations held online on October 11, from 4 to 5 in the morning, were attended by various organizations, RELI stakeholders as well as Primary and Secondary School teachers from Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar, while the debate, led by the Director of Communications and Advocacy from Uwezo Tanzania Greyson Gervas Mgoi, teachers explaining the benefits of the Jifunze Project/TaRL (Teaching at the Right Level).
Voices of teachers in commemoration.
Grace Patrice is a Teacher from Mloganzila Secondary School, Coastal Region contributing to the discussion led by the question of what a teacher likes said, “I am very thankful that I have been empowered by the PWC Organization through the Jifunze Project/TaRL, training that has enabled me to be able to teach using tools modern, the students understand me better than before I got the TaRL training”
Another teacher is Sarah Komba who teaches at Kilunywa a Primary School, located in Kisarawe District, Coastal Region and she said, “I have changed a lot in teaching different from the beginning before I got the TaRL training, I enjoy more the collaborative education I was taught which has helped me build relationships between myself and students now understand me easily”
In addition, Mwalimu Sarah, after starting to use the Jifunze/TaRL methods, enabled him to raise the teaching standards, and his contribution was recognized by being awarded the Best Teacher Award by the Kisarawe District Council.
Responding to a question asked by the coordinator of the debate, Greyson, about the role of technology in teaching, Waziri Mdoe a Teacher from Turini Secondary in the Coastal Region said, the current world needs to have digital tools in teaching students, and it is an issue that cannot be avoided.
Other teachers who participated in the celebration are, George Ngomba from Leena Pri and Primary School in Morogoro Region and Maryam Khamis Mohamed from Fuoni Primary School located on the island of Unguja, Zanzibar.
Apart from commemoration, the Teachers Development Support Cluster has mentioned the achievements and other things that are expected to be done to continue to raise Education in the country, including collaborating with the RELI Life Skills Conference to build teachers’ ability to teach, children to acquire reading skills, math skills, and Life and values.
The regional education network includes more than 70 non-governmental Education organizations located in East Africa.
Commemorative message from leaders.
Delivering the opening speech of the commemoration, Mrs. Faraja Kota Nyalandu asked the teachers to use the lessons they have learned to teach and pass it on to other teachers, and that they should continue to learn so that they can continue to help children master their studies.
The Director of Maarifa ni Ufunguo Organization Nicholaus Etilawe, explaining his experience in the matter of the use of whips in the classroom, said that a teacher who uses whips often lacks confidence, as well as his ability to teach is low while whips for students destroy their psychology and cause them to have no good career.
“It is good for the teacher to use more modern teaching methods instead of using whips” added Nicholaus Etilawe
Earlier, presenting the implementation and results of various Education projects implemented by the Milele Zanzibar Foundation, the Manager of Education Projects Eshe Ramadhan Haji explained that, many projects have had positive results to the extent that some Education stakeholders continue them in the areas their work.
The leaders of the RELI Education Committee are Mrs. Faraja Kota Nyalandu, Director of Shule Direct Organization, and the Director of Communications and advocacy in Uwezo Tanzania Mr. Greyson Gervas Mgoi.
Stakeholder organizations of RELI Africa that participated in this commemoration included Uwezo Tanzania, Milele Zanzibar Foundation, OCODE, SAWA, SHULE DIRECT, SAZAN Trust, PWC, ST JOHNS College and RELI Tanzania.
World Teachers’ Day is commemorated on October 5 every year, to recognize their contribution to society, the nation, and the whole world, this day was established in 1966 by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Educational and Scientific Organization (UNESCO).
