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BLAME ON ME

BLAME ON ME

I would like to say this before anything that... “This article is the response to what was written by Mtega and titled MGOMO BARIDI (COLD STRIKE) – how much time do teachers actually spend teaching?” mtega.com/20014/11/chart-of-the-week-29-mgomo-baridi-how-much-do-teachers-actually-spend-teaching/#comment-2669

As I promised him my response will be on this blogspot, with no any other interest but CHANGES as he believed in it, the word “TEACHERS” to be used in his article has given me courage to respond to it with no fear that at lastly Mtega will also learn a lesson as I did when I read his article for the first time.

BACKGROUND

I can not refute that I am not familiar with the word used in the article as the title “MGOMO BARIDI (COLD STRIKE)” because I used to hear it since I was a student but now a teacher. I can not say when it started but as he tried to explain its meaning is the exactly meaning which I know up to this time but there is no prove if TEACHERS (no specification of the exactly teacher) are really on COLD STRIKE. If he could specify the real teacher he/she could play his/her part on the blames which laid down by  Mtega and my response would be on the side which the government employees teachers for.

Mtega tried to write things which he thought make teachers to be on cold strike with no fear at all and the best of all to be THE SALARY PAID TO TEACHERS. For me I will take this as the backbone of the title of the article “MGOMO BARIDI (COLD STRIKE)” and forget all other things because if it is about a house a teacher must have his/her own for today and tomorrow, if it is about motivation and other things the government failed to give teachers for many years now.

The great deal of the article was on students’ performance but with a clear identification that teachers are the ones to be blamed for all which is happening to students’ performance with no fear at all because he talks on teachers...grade four teachers...seriously busy  teachers in urban...I don’t know what he thought about us from rural areas....

My great question is this WHY HE POINTED DIRECTLY TEACHERS AND NOT A CERTAIN TEACHER TO BE ON COLD STRIKE? Likewise the disrespectful shown to teachers and not others who are in the silent circle?

If you will read the article and grasp the meaning you will certainly identify teachers, the government and students to be on the circle on students’ failure and he kept himself aside with his role as a stakeholder and his contribution to students’ performance.

WHOM TO BE BLAMED NOW?

From the above question let me go back on my title “BLAME ON ME” so as I can show you what others do and we as TEACHERS enjoy a lot to learn from others. But I repeat again much thanks to the article titled MGOMO BARIDI (COLD STRIKE) because is the base of the hidden goods done by others from very far part of the world. People who never take blames on others and statistics is of no importance at all to them, they demonstrate their abilities on changes with actions and not words as I will do on this article. As the tradition of Tanzanians always looking for a witch and forget that progress is what we intend in our society today...HERE ARE THE WITCHES AGAIN.

 In 2013 I was employed as a secondary teacher in rural area as other rural areas in Tanzania. I never thought at all I will enjoy my profession because it was almost the death of my morality on good life as well as modern life. I knew things will be the same as I used to hear, no interaction with other people except the indigenous and country people from the area. I thought I will never interact with people from towns mostly Swahili speakers but I met with English people who told me to use COSTLY and NOT COSTFUL as well as others whom I did not expect to hear their language at all without going to their countries. Day after a day I started getting hope and my perception was changing after being part of the community at the school...they all come to my school to strength and motivate the work done by teachers at school and not evaluating what we do as teachers through statistics. I would like to remind you the great idea from Plato who kept his great concerns on education as a light and who ever will see it should go back and take others from the cave...here Plato did not blame other who are in the cave struggling to fight darkness.

2014 will be a great year in my profession because I knew that Tanzania Development Trust (TDT) and Hilden Charitable Fund (HCF) are the modern Platos in Tanzania. TDT and HCF under collaboration, they are trying to fight Tanzanian three enemies; ignorance, disease and poverty with all their efforts so as Tanzanians can live as other human beings in other parts of the world. They have generated their funds to improve teaching and learning in schools by highly focusing on teacher-learner centred by providing all necessities to many schools in Tanzania. Libraries are now well equipped with books, laboratories got chemicals and different apparatus and other equipments to assure that students do actual practical in learning and examinations. Also sports to girls and boys were not left aside and the great concern to girls’ attainment on education which was not a common thing into our society. Our schools now are no longer on analogy system...tablets have started being used by students in rural areas for students’ performance.

Being a volunteer is another issue for TDT members. Once I met Janet Chapman is when the doors for students started to be opened. She came at my school to introduce E-learning to teachers and students, expecting to spend only two days of stay but a week was not enough and she wished to stay at the school for more days so as she can teach, assist and listen to every student individually for improving their performance on their studies. She spent her time struggling for students’ rights from the administration by sharing her wonderful experience from her well developed country. She had time to discuss with students on the other side of the coin...the society with its roles on their performance. What their families do in order to see them succeed...I think she knew a lot more than walking long distance to and from schools, their poverty, child labour and many other things which are the cause of all blames to teachers. All what she believed before she came in Tanzania to be useful to students were right; the offline Wikipedia in all versions became as important as education in tablets and computers. All the days she lived with me were of great deal and I learnt that rural life has no different at all to life in town because Madam enjoyed as me with the available resources. Before she left and go back home, she made a promise; she said always she will remember my students in any second of her breathe...she did. She sent Christmas gifts by considering the needs and demands of all students with no bias to sex...THE LIGHT OF HOPE...now they read at night.

Always good news spread, another volunteer came and this was a man Mr. Kevin. He had few days more than Janet but what he did can not be measured. I never knew if he had much eyes from I and my fellow teachers whom visited him frequently and watch him when he was busy with students.

He managed to share his experiences with many students in groups. He also taught students of all levels with no regards of his age though he is more than fifty. He worked as a slave...students to live as kings. He knew enjoyment is part of learning...different beautiful songs were sung to show that each and everything is possible to everyone in the world. I had no an idea if my students could prefer singing until I heard their vocals coming out under his guidance.     

Here is what I heard him teaching because they had to repeat on what he said as always teachers do often in classes.

·         Students had to repeat on the appropriate ways of answering questions as he asked them.

Example

Who is the President of Tanzania?

- Kikwete.-wrong

- The President of Tanzania is Jakaya Kikwete.-right

Ø  Let us focus on the effort of every teacher from the begging of student’s learning...is this the thing to be taught to a secondary level student who is in form three or two?

·         I also focused on students’ abilities on expressing  themselves to different things when they were required to do so but most of them had fear and always seen  as people with no confidence in participating in conversion with elders.

Ø  This shows that the students’ opportunities in participating in conversation is a new thing to them is difficult because they lack confidence, the existence of highly rooted patriarchal system which the father is the last person to say in everything at home  evidenced itself to students’ response.

·         Further Mr Kevin managed to visit some students at their home and saw inside the book what is written in good sake. He had a warmly welcome and enjoyed a lot to see handsome boys living in their room and concurred that solar light (a light of hope) is important to students in rural for their performance.

Ø  Does this need a national campaign to address that students in rural require light for preparation at night after done which we know and we don’t know is done by them!

Ø  Do we know if all students have access to kerosene in their house if there is no a solar light?

·         Let me narrow the concept of discussion by only saying it works a lot to people who are familiar to the matter under discussion but I would like us to concentrate on the effects of our poor participation to students’ performance... (This is direct to parents and stakeholders who deeply concentrate on data which will lastly have no effects in progress).

The questions to be posed to all as members of the society are as follows;

1.       Do we fulfill our responsibilities on time?

This might have an impact on teachers in town not to fulfill or reduce their time to be spent in classes as required by the employer.

2.       Why the cries on salary to teachers always have been not attended for so long?

Since I was a student I used to hear that the worst work in Tanzania is to become an educational officer. I decided to work in this profession because of CHANGES whether to me, you and my nation.

3.       What is the contribution of Tanzanian society to development of this very important sector in the nation for tomorrow? This should focus on our practices in all sphere of life politically, culturally, socially, economic and technologically.

Once you think critically and focus on the served ones you will not have doubt that we need to change before we obtain the changes which we are expecting all of us. The publication of the article “MGOMO BARIDI (COLD STRIKE)” had weak views on blaming teachers because it lacks solutions to be taken by Tanzanians and has focused to very minor group on today’s success in education and left a very number of people who are important as teachers.

The best question which I will always still ask people who have access and ability to write and publicize articles on CHANGES is WHY DO THEY FOCUS ON FAILURE AND NOT PEOPLE WHO ARE PRACTICING THE CHANGES WHICH IS A DREAM TO US?

Ø  We need to negotiate and start focusing on the documentation on the works done by TDT and HCF in Tanzania by learning through them; how they create the sources for doing all those things they do to Tanzanian society.

Ø  Moreover the works done by volunteers from UK do not end on writings as we do and mainly by criticizing teachers on the little thing they are doing. They interact directly to the field with no review of any article to find the truth. They help teachers and struggle together to combat what others write on teachers. THIS SHOULD BE DOCUMENTED AND PUBLICIZED TOO.

Therefore I would like to say blames on anyone who fails to fulfil his/her duty for students’ success.

BEFORE YOU RETIRE

Before you retire

Yesterday the sun rose,

Today it touches the fontanelle

Because tomorrow I am going to retire.

I had the ability of carrying the world

Handling and managing all that thump my cord

I am sure all these made me old.

I have served the martial for all my life

I have lived like a warrior all the days with a knife

Death upon others…God kept me safe.

Building the nation has eaten me enough,

Extremely enough, I suffer from endless cough

When you will see me you will have the endless laugh.

First I used to live and do things under forces and commands

I had no time for my children to become the diamonds

They are only great ponds.

Their heads are almost empty with a little grain brain

Because I had a great ambition on basic needs and not education

They have intruded a war…how will they sustain?

Always the government interprets her enemies

Together we need fight them in our communities

It’s when we will have progress and medals.

By fighting poverty, diseases, poor shelter and illiterate

Our stars will shine without startle

Even when we are dead out of the castle.

After I have passed through many readings as well as my own experience, I have no doubt to write this article with the assistance of the poem “BEFORE YOU RETIRE” my personal experience and what I saw when my father retired is enough to support me on this wonderful article. At first I wanted to address to people who normally become friends to people whom have retired and play tricks on them by being advisors on what they should do with pensions they have got so as they can be rich. Lastly I changed an idea and decided to write to people who have power, strong ones and determinants so as they can do their share in their societies lather than teaching old dogs new techniques.

Under the guidance from the very beautiful poem I will roughly say that RETIRE means to cease to work competitively and bring changes in our society. Many people have decided to retire young…retire poor due to lack of self commitment and believe that changes are on their hands. Many youth and energetic people have already tolerated the existing situations to them and their parents as the cursed generation.

There were so many obstacles which prevailed us to attain our goals (if we had) but still we should know that other people especially our children do not deserve to be same as we are today.

Our society deserves more than our lives in order to exist. If we are planning to have children as the soldier did we should accept that we need to focus on a modern view of basic needs to African countries that education should be given priority as we have been doing to food, shelter and clothes.

So many people have become reluctant nowadays and disvalue education which the government has tried to cut its boundaries and provide it even in rural areas where it was a story. People have just concentrated on thing that were done by our fathers in building the nation with a knife and on their last days they find themselves in a burden more than what they had when they had power.

  A new generation requires to rely on the science and technology whereas the old fashioned styles of life are severely discouraged because will take us back on depending on other people to help us and our potentialities remain without being used at all.

BEFORE YOU RETIRE

Before you retire

Yesterday the sun rose,

Today it touches the fontanelle

Because tomorrow I am going to retire.

I had the ability of carrying the world

Handling and managing all that thump my cord

I am sure all these made me old.

I have served the martial for all my life

I have lived like a warrior all the days with a knife

Death upon others…God kept me safe.

Build the nation has eaten me enough,

Extremely enough, I suffer from endless cough

When you will see me you will have the endless laugh.

First I used to live and do things under forces and commands

I had no time for my children to become the diamonds

They are only great ponds.

Their heads are almost empty with a little grain brain

Because I had a great ambition on basic needs and not education

They have intruded a war…how will they sustain?

Always the government interprets her enemies

Together we need fight them in our communities

It’s when we will have progress and medals.

By fighting poverty, diseases, poor shelter and illiterate

Our stars will shine without startle

Even when we are dead out of the castle.

After I have passed through many readings as well as my own experience, I have no doubt to write this article with the assistance of the poem “BEFORE YOU RETIRE” my personal experience and what I saw when my father retired is enough to support me on this wonderful article. At first I wanted to address to people who normally become friends to people whom have retired and play tricks on them by being advisors on what they should do with pensions they have got so as they can be rich. Lastly I changed an idea and decided to write to people who have power, strong ones and determinants so as they can do their share in their societies lather than teaching old dogs new techniques.

Under the guidance from the very beautiful poem I will roughly say that RETIRE means to cease to work competitively and bring changes in our society. Many people have decided to retire young…retire poor due to lack of self commitment and believe that changes are on their hands. Many youth and energetic people have already tolerated the existing situations to them and their parents as the cursed generation.

There were so many obstacles which prevailed us to attain our goals (if we had) but still we should know that other people especially our children do not deserve to be same as we are today.

Our society deserves more than our lives in order to exist. If we are planning to have children as the soldier did we should accept that we need to focus on a modern view of basic needs to African countries that education should be given priority as we have been doing to food, shelter and clothes.

So many people have become reluctant nowadays and dis value education which the government has tried to cut its boundaries and provide it even in rural areas where it was a story. People have just concentrated on thing that were done by our fathers in building the nation with a knife and on their last days they find themselves in a burden more than what they had when they had power.

  A new generation requires to rely on the science and technology whereas the old fashioned styles of life are severely discouraged because will take us back on depending on other people to help us and our potentialities remain without being used at all.

BORN Again School Of Thoughts...

BORN Again School Of Thoughts is an inspirational Blogspot which entails to expose the most deviated children from all sphere of life. As we know, most of the children in Tanzania are struggling to attain life and education with the presence of many obstacles for their success. The cages arise from their childhood up to the time of their understanding on themselves but fail to tackle the situations due to immaturity as well as lack of education on the real world.

BORN Again School Of Thoughts is a practical blogspot by using real stories observed or addressed by children themselves so as they can be advised as well as being helped, thus the stories will be obtained from schools and streets where they live. Most of the children will be from the rural areas where there are a lot of challenges such as extremely poverty, bad believe, early marriage and where education is seen as something with no importance.

Therefore BORN Again School Of Thoughts will establish clubs in different schools starting from primary level up to secondary level for inculcating the spirit to children that EDUCATION IS THE KEY OF LIFE. This will be direct proportional with the education to girls as the most venerable sex in the world due to the fact that it is the base and a foundation of any society. Rights for girls’ children will be strengthen with real effects that will come after going astray.

BORN Again School Of Thoughts...

BORN Again School Of Thoughts is an inspirational Blogspot which entails to expose the most deviated children from all sphere of life. As we know, most of the children in Tanzania are struggling to attain life and education with the presence of many obstacles for their success. The cages arise from their childhood up to the time of their understanding on themselves but fail to tackle the situations due to immaturity as well as lack of education on the real world.

BORN Again School Of Thoughts is a practical blogspot by using real stories observed or addressed by children themselves so as they can be advised as well as being helped, thus the stories will be obtained from schools and streets where they live. Most of the children will be from the rural areas where there are a lot of challenges such as extremely poverty, bad believe, early marriage and where education is seen as something with no importance.

Therefore BORN Again School Of Thoughts will establish clubs in different schools starting from primary level up to secondary level for inculcating the spirit to children that EDUCATION IS THE KEY OF LIFE. This will be direct proportional with the education to girls as the most venerable sex in the world due to the fact that it is the base and a foundation of any society. Rights for girls’ children will be strengthen with real effects that will come after going astray.