Barnabas March 2014 Newsletter

This one is going to be very different.  Because Blogger will not allow me to post a PDF file, I had to do this kind of weird.  So Barnabas' newsletter is on Facebook in two image files.  I am posting the main article here but if you would like the count in Kiswahili, games and other fun items you will need to follow the link to download the two images.  The answer to the crossword puzzle is also there in image file and I have given a link below.

Page 1 of Newsletter

Page 2 of Newsletter

Answers to Crossword Puzzle

A Kid's Life in Tanzania-School

Since I spend more of my time with the kids in Tanzania than I do with adults, I thought it would be good to tell you a little about what their life is like.  Let’s start with school. 

Pre-Primary is similar to kindergarten and is for children 5-6 years of age and normally lasts 2 years.  However it is normal in rural (outside the city) areas for there to be no pre-primary type school and if there is it normally is a single class for all children held together and is typically a part of a non-profit group.  We have a pre-school at the Full Dimension Ministry site in Yulansoni, the only one in the area.  The school is paid for with donations in the USA to cover materials and the teacher’s salaries.  We currently have over 50 children enrolled with two teachers. 

The desks are designed for three children to sit at.  Our students get a meal of porridge every day for lunch for free. If it rains before school, then the kids cannot go because the river beds flood and it would be too dangerous for small children because they would have to walk through the river.  If it rains while they are in school, they must stay there until an older sibling or parent comes to get them.  Our student do wear uniforms to pre-school.  They must be able to pass a test to enter Primary school.

Primary school is like elementary and middle school combined into one for ages between 7 and 13 and grades are called Standard 1 through standard 7.  The government has waived the tuition fees for these schools but parents must pay for uniforms, testing fees and school supplies.  This has lead to great increases in the number of students attending primary school. 

All schools have required uniforms and normally each student gets two uniforms if their parents can afford it but they have to wear them everyday.  A student must pass a test to be able to advance to secondary school.  In 2009 less than 50% of students passed the exam to get their primary school certificate.  Public primary schools teach in Kiswahili which is the official language of Tanzania.  Private schools teach mostly in English to prepare students for Secondary school which is in English in both public and private schools.  Courses taught in Primary school include:  Kiswahili, mathematics, science, geography, civics, history, English language, vocational subjects, French, religion, information and communication technology, and school sports.

Secondary school is for four years and is only taught in English, by law.  The grades are called Form 1-4.  This is difficult since that is a third language for most students who have learned Kiswahili as the national language and their tribal or local language.  Parents must pay for tuition to Secondary school along with uniform fees, testing fees and other fees to pay for school buildings, furniture and security. After secondary school are two additional years before they can go to a University.  It is estimated only 24% are enrolled in Secondary school.