Challenges in Implementing Vocational Education and Training in Tanzania
The paper discusses the perception of Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Tanzania, emphasizing its importance across all education levels. It explores the role of language of instruction in VET implementation, highlighting the need for familiar languages to facilitate effective training. The challenges of using English as a language of instruction and the suggestion to adopt Kiswahili are examined.
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Language of Instruction Challenge to Secondary schools and Tertiary Institutions in Implementing VET in Tanzania. Author: Issaya Lupogo Mzumbe University, Tanzania 3/6/2025 1
1.0 Introduction 1.1 Current Perception of VET VET is perceived a skilled occupation for standard seven leavers and form four failures enrolled in different -vocational training centres which combine education and production Redecker, Wihstutz & Mwinuka 2000:9) (Kalimasi, 2013: 3/6/2025 2
1.2 Standpoint of the paper on the perception of VET What is vocation ? What is training? What is Vocational training? What is VET? Vocation - is somebody's work, job, or profession, especially a type of work demanding special commitment. Training - is the process of teaching or learning a skill or job Vocational training - learning for the purpose of gaining a certain skill or profession (Encarta dictionary) VET - ?????????????????????????????? 3/6/2025 3
This paper shall do away with the notion that VET which is specifically known as VETA (Vocational Education and Training Authority) in Tanzania is for low level of education like failures of primary and secondary schools which involves only combining education with production. Instead, the paper considers VET as the kind of education which applies to all levels of education; primary, secondary, higher education and other inform education like local garages, tailoring marts, household based workshops etc. This paper regards any kind of education (acquisition of some skills) involves vocational training. Therefore, all education levels (primary, secondary and tertiary education) are VET oriented. 3/6/2025 4
Then it should be understood that language (especially language of instruction) is used in making VET possible because it the one which teachers/instructors use to deliver a certain vocational training to the students. Language is a medium of any kind of information given in VET. VET can no longer take place without language of instruction which is familiar to the students. 3/6/2025 5
2.0Language of Instruction Challenge in Tanzanian System of Education About 90% of the population (Tanzanians) is bilingual in Kiswahili and a vernacular languages and only about 15% have knowledge of English (Brock-utne, 2002) Various researchers (Mlama and Matteru 1978; Rubagumya, Jones and Mansoko 1998; Brock- Utne 2005; Vuzo 2005) have confirmed that most students and majority of teachers are seriously handicapped when using English as LoI, hence suggesting it to be replaced by Kiswahili 3/6/2025 6
Uncountable studies like Mlama and Matteru (1977), Mvungi (1982) Rubagumya (1991), Rubagumya et al (1999), Roy-Campbell and Qorro (1997) Brock-Utne (2001), Qorro (1999, 2003), Mwinshekhe (2001,2003) just to mention some of them have explicitly shown the problems of using English as medium of instruction in Tanzanian secondary schools and higher learning institutions. These scholars and others have suggested several times to switch from English to Kiswahili but till today the suggestion has not been put into action. 3/6/2025 7
Moreover, recommended the use of Swahili as language of instruction at all levels of education (United Republic of Tanzania, 1984). Again Ministry of Education and Culture (1998) recommended the same after realizing that English was problematic to both teachers and students but the government has not adopted this recommendation, and it has not therefore been implemented. Therefore it is terrible to see the language which is not well known by students to be used as a Language of Instruction. a presidential commission 3/6/2025 8
3.0The impact of Language of Instruction challenge in implementing VET in Tanzania 1. Failure of capturing basic vocational skills. An example of classroom situation which proves that English is problematic to both teachers and students; 3/6/2025 9
T: Goods must be remain in the store to be ready for a changing of weather...it is a danger to sell all goods in the store The dangerous of selling all the goods in the store when goods are scarcity and sales are increase (T mixes language to elaborate what he was teaching) Nina maana kuwa bidhaa zikipungua we need time for a preparation. Time to ask for a new goods (in the course of the lesson he posed a question) T: How can we do before to sell all goods in the store? S: You must be carewith that changes and making time for a preparation Source: Vuzo (2005) 3/6/2025 10
2.The mismatch between language in the class and language in the actual use of learned skills in the society. Data collection from 17 students from Mzumbe University, School of Public Administration and Management (SOPAM) who were at field studies in different organizations (i.e Ministry of finance, NSSF, TANROADS, Dar es salaam Port) whereby all of them reported to use Kiswahili in several situations like in meeting, when a boss gives some directives/orders, workers in office, when a worker/employee addresses a certain issue to the boss, when a worker addresses something to the costumer, information on notice board. 3/6/2025 11
The students also reported that English has only remained in written documents and is mostly orally used when a foreigner (Non Kiswahili speaker) pays a visit to the organization. Furthermore, the students said that code-mixing (the use of both English and Kiswahili) is sometimes used because some of the field vocabularies are either difficult to be translated in Kiswahili or are totally not found in Kiswahili 3/6/2025 12
Some students responses on their general suggestion in regarding to the language of instruction at the organizations they were undertaking their field studies Kiswahili has to be used more than English because 110 out of 114 employees are Tanzanians and they are much comfortable with Kiswahili than English, Only 4 employees are Zambian. Also Kiswahili is better for most of the employees because of their level of education; most of the lower level employees are having only primary education My suggestion is that Kiswahili should be used in communications. This is because some other employees are not fluently in English language hence it becomes difficult in understanding the directives given 3/6/2025 13
Therefore, this shows that vocational skills is delivered to students by language A (English) but application of the acquired skills is done in language Z (Kiswahili). As various suggestions given above, suggest that Kiswahili should officially be used in organisations because despite the fact that the language of communication in various organizations has theoretically been stated to be English, it is no longer being used, instead, Kiswahili has taken the place. 3/6/2025 14
4.0 Conclusion It is a time now for the government to adopt Kiswahili as Language of Instruction (LoI) in secondary schools and tertiary institutions so as to implement VET effectively in the country because more than 90% of Tanzanians are familiar to Kiswahili. Moreover, all local services from various offices, trading centres e.t.c are done in Kiswahili throughout the country. This does not mean English should totally terminated but it will be used as subject which will be taught by English professional teachers who will enable a student to understand proper English different from the current situation in which students are expected to learn English by being taught in English in all subjects. 3/6/2025 15
Language is not learned by making it to be LoI rather it is to be taught by particular language teachers. The result of maintaining this wrong ideology (teaching in English is learning English) has resulted into poor English to many students because some teachers who are not competent in English language have been imparting poor grammar to their students and sometimes distorting a proper grammar which students have learned from English subject. 3/6/2025 16
