STRICT measures of competence will from next year be conducted on graduate teachers for years waiting to join the public service.

Prof Adolf Mkenda, the Education, Science and Technology minister, made this observation at the 2024 English digital teaching skills competition among primary school teachers in Dar es Salaam late on Tuesday.

He said that the teachers will have to go through special recruitment interviews in the wake of a new recruitment procedure, with the interview method meant to select the best teachers.

Their skills will be aligned with global standards acceptable in developed countries as the framework for the provision of quality education, he said, noting that the measure is in response to criticism of the current employment system.

Successful applicants report directly to schools, a method criticized for inefficiency in hiring incompetent teachers and its susceptibility to favouritism, he said.

The new measure starting early will see all teacher candidates undergo testing, including those who have been waiting for employment for years. The latter group needs to continually update their skills and knowledge to excel in the interviews, the minister stated.

The government has invested efforts to transform the education sector, with reforms in policies, laws and curriculum, involving hiring competent teachers to provide positive outcomes as a matter of paramount importance, he explained.

“We cannot hire teachers out of sympathy and instead we want to defend the teaching profession like any other,” he asserted, citing examples like Singapore, the United States and Germany where they use such interviews thus doing well in the education sector.

“In these countries, competency exams, practical assessments and psychological tests ensure that only the most capable people enter the teaching profession,” he emphasised.

The new interview-based recruitment process aims to eliminate these problems and ensure that only the most qualified teachers are responsible for educating the country’s children,” he further noted.

In the competition, 10 early childhood and primary education teachers were awarded for exemplary skills, receiving cash prizes and certificates.

Celebrating their dedication to improving their teaching skills, Jenifer Chuwa and Sophia Moses from Enaboishu Academy won the first two prizes, and a Tuvaila Primary School in Meru also in Arusha Region took third place.

Dr Aneth Komba, the Tanzania Institute of Education (TET) director general, said that the awards will motivate teachers in recognizing their contributions.

“These awards involve teachers from public schools in all municipalities of the country and this year, more than 3,700 teachers participated in the contest,” she said.

Preetie Arora from the World Bank country office commended the government for coming up with an initiative of recognising teachers’ contributions, encouraging others to heighten efforts and creativity.

“We all need to value and respect teachers as they are good bridges producing a lot of experts doing marvels in the country,” she said.

World Bank projects in the sector include ‘boost primary pupil learning,’ tied with the school-based teachers’ continuous professional development (TCPD) initiative.

The global lender intends to enhance its support for government initiatives to improve teaching and producing positive school outcomes, she added.