Teachers prepare lessons that they hope will prepare students for their future, but it is often difficult to imagine the future since the present changes so often. In this essay, I hope to explain the current predicament that many of the people in the Arusha, Tanzania area find themselves in Before I can begin to write about school improvement in the Arusha, Tanzania region, it is important that I underline the product of the current education system. How do the people who go to school in this area live? what type of schools offer the best chances for economic development? In Arusha, like in any area of the world, one finds people that have attended poor schools and those who have attended good schools. Then, one finds people who do not even attend school and those who are lucky enough to attend international schools or schools abroad. I would like to make a short summary of the outcomes of the current Tanzanian school system in the area of Arusha based on my observations, interviews and research. Let's break down the citizens of this region into those 4 groups:
Now let's list and explain the outside forces that members of each of these group face that keep them from away from successful economic development. 1. The people who attend not school basically attain a basal level living standard. The forces that they have to contend with are as follows:
2. The people who attend the poor schools live at a substandard level. Although they have a chance to go to school their lifestyles are not much better than those who do not attend schools. In addition to many of the forces suffered by the members of the No School group, Here are some of the forces that they currently face:
The irony is that members of these 2 first groups are often highly skilled. They have many of the basic skills needed to rebuild a nation's infrastructure and to move products through Tanzanian markets. They can fix cars, start and maintain businesses, cook, build, farm, manage, they are astonishingly street smart and are highly motivated. However, their skills are not recognized as being valuable because they do not have formal training. Any skill attained outside of the formal education system is rarely recognized as financially valuable in mainstream society. 3. The members of the third group are those who attended "good schools". Often "good schools" are defined by any school which is conducted in English, private schools and expensive schools. People who attend the "good schools" live a life slightly above subsistence. This, however, is not as a result of school standards and content but because of their ability to speak English. However, here are some of the forces that prevent them from progressing economically:
Members of this group are often less skilled than their poorer counterparts. They do have a bit of disposable income which causes them to hire out services. They spend a lot of that disposable income attempting to show a lifestyle above their means. So they purchase TV's, expensive clothing, cars, and send their children to pricey schools. 4. The members of the 4th group.....These guys have it made and have access to local universities, international travel and study abroad. This group has access to government positions and limited management assignments in Tanzania’s thriving tourist industry.
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