Improving Student-Teacher Ratios to Ensure Student Success

When we discuss the standard of education within our Oldeani community, we often focus on high National Exam pass rates, quarterly teacher trainings, and an increasing number of students with a secondary education. 

One of the strongest indicators of student success and engagement is also the student-teacher ratio, or the number of students to every teacher in a school. This number refers to more than just class size as it reflects a teacher’s workload and their availability to offer services and care for students. It has been found that the lower the ratio, the more success students will have.

In Tanzania, the average student-teacher ratio in 2018 at primary schools was 50:1 and secondary schools was 21:1. At our partner schools, we have been successful in creating student-teacher ratios that are lower than the national average. Gyetighi Primary School (GPS) currently has an 18:1 ratio while Oldeani Secondary School (OSS) offers a 16:1 ratio. 

Lower student-teacher ratios lighten the workload for teachers allowing them to develop closer relationships with students and better cater to individual students’ needs. A more balanced workload for teachers affects their capacity for professional development opportunities while more personalized learning for students influences their test scores. These ripple effects can be seen in our partner schools’ accomplishments last year. In 2020, teachers participated in 10 trainings while 100% of GPS Standard 7 students and 99% of OSS Form 4 Students passed the National Exams.

To best provide students in our community with a quality education, TCF ensures that all factors which contribute to a student’s success (big and small) are being met!