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The 2013 Uwezo report and 2015 district report were both launched in Sengerema district on June 28th 2016 at the district entrepreneurial center in Ibisabageni. The acting District Commissioner Mr Batalangile Kaswahili and acting DEO Mr Deogratious Mumema were in attendance as well as teachers, village coordinators, volunteers and parents that participated in the assessment.
For over five years, Uwezo has been producing evidence on learning outcomes in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. Initially, the government would question the methodology and rubbish the findings. However in recent years, all stakeholders, including government, have come to accept that there is a crisis of learning.
So too in Sengerema. The District Commissioner fully endorsed the findings and the assessment process. He noted the number of villages visited, the number of school and households were data was collected and said that the magnitude was more than enough to give a real picture of Sengerema. In terms of the data he acknowledged that the performance wasn’t very good but also congratulated the people of Sengerema for showing improvement and then urged them to continue moving the right direction.
Kaswahili also asked the audience several questions about what they could do to improve learning in Sengerema. He highlighted the responsibility of parents and teachers. He directed questions to the District Education Officer about teacher absenteeism and the low quality of teaching. And he asked what Sengerema can learn from the districts that were in the top 10. He concluded that the assessment shines “light” on their district and that they need to utilize the data they have been given to bring change.
Uwezo district level discussions to are also being held in a number of other districts in the country. Updates from these events will be posted as they happen.
Blog originally posted at the Twaweza Website