Transition to Secondary School

It is 8am at TCF’s partner primary school, Gyetighi Primary School (GPS). The Standard 7 students gather noisily around a giant chalkboard at the back of the classroom. The room erupts into cheers as the number 8 is scratched onto the board. For the Standard 7 students, there are only eight school days left of primary school. 

On October 7th, Standard 7 students across Tanzania will sit for the Primary School Leaving Examination, a culminating, two day exam that tests students on everything they have learned over the past eight years of primary school. Those who pass the exam are eligible to continue on to secondary school, those who do not will meet the end of their educational career. 

Standard 7 teachers and students at GPS are working hard to prepare for the exam, both educationally and mentally. From weekly mock examinations and extra homework to Saturday review classes and test-taking workshops, everybody has their eye on the prize: pass the exam. 

To combat nerves surrounding both the exam and the shift to secondary school, GPS has been hosting weekly motivational speakers for the past two months. Prominent community members address the Standard 7 students and encourage them to study hard and to be confident in their knowledge.  “We want the students to know that the whole community is supporting them in their education,” explains TCF’s GPS Education Director. 

The transition from primary to secondary school in Tanzania has a unique challenge: the language adjustment. Primary school is taught entirely in Swahili, and secondary school is taught entirely in English. To address this language switch, secondary schools host a program called Pre- Form 1, a two month English introduction. While usually, students must pay for Pre-Form 1, TCF offers this program free of charge for all GPS Standard 7 students. 

Although change can be scary, the Standard 7 students at GPS are excited and ready for this next stage of their lives. “We are counting down the days,” giggles St. 7 student Natalie. “I am happy to finish Standard 7...I am excited to meet new people and I want to learn new things,” she smiles. We are proud of the Standard 7 students, who have grown not only intellectually but also as individuals over the past eight years.  We cannot wait to see what their futures hold!