A while back the English teachers for the Form 1 students, Mr Roger and Mr Komba, organized a debate conducted in English as a way for students to practice their oral skills. Interestingly enough, the debate topic itself was "Swahili should be the medium of instruction in all secondary schools in Tanzania".
The debate was held in the dining hall of the new girls' hostel [dormitory], with some of the other teachers attending also. I was impressed by how well some of our students can speak in a public setting like this! The funny looking microphone is just a prop, not a real one.
[My own take on the topic is that the use of English as the teaching language is a massive failure. Tanzanians should switch entirely to Swahili and push the development of this African language, which is what they are truly able to communicate in. However, Tanzanians themselves are very much split on this. -Earl]
[Photos by Roger Angst]
