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Malipo kwa walimu baada ya matokeo yamewezesha wanafunzi kujifunza kwa ufanisi sawa na nyongeza ya nusu muhula katika mwaka wa masomo

Kuwalipa walimu bahshishi kumewanufaisha wanafunzi zaidi ya 48,000 katika kujifunza stadi za Kiswahili na Hisabati

 Baada ya miaka miwili ya majaribio, Twaweza, kwa kushirikiana na Tume ya Sayansi na Teknolojia (COSTECH) pamoja na shirika la Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), wamedhihirisha kuwa kuwalipa walimu fedha baada ya matokeo ya kujifunza kunaweza kuboresha matokeo ya kujifunza.

Matokeo haya yamethibitisha kwamba wanafunzi wameweza kujifunza na kupata stadi stahiki kwa muda

wa mwaka mmoja kile ambacho wangeweza kujifunza kwa mwaka na nusu muhula.

Matokeo ya utafiti unaojulikana kama KiuFunza, utafiti mkubwa wa aina yake Afrika Mashariki, yaliwasilishwa katika majadiliano na wadau wa elimu jijini Dar es Salaam.

Kwa kipindi cha miaka miwili ya KiuFunza, Twaweza na IPA wamefanya majaribio yafuatayo katika shule 200 kwenye wilaya 21 za Tanzania:

·         Kutoa bahshishi kwa kujifunza stadi mahususi zilizoainishwa kwa darasa kwenye kundi moja la shule (Stadi).

·         Kutoa bahshishi kwa ongezeko la kujifunza kwenye kundi lingine la shule (Mashindano).

Njia zote mbili zilijaribiwa ili kulinganisha matokeo yaliyopatikana na kundi la shule za ulinganisho ambazo walimu wake hawakupewa bahshishi. Japokuwa mfumo wa Mashindano ni mgumu zaidi kueleweka kuliko mfumo wa Stadi, mfumo huu huleta usawa zaidi kwa walimu, kwakuwa wanafunzi hushindana na wenzao walio kwenye makundi yenye uwezo unaofanana. Stadi  hueleweka kwa urahisi zaidi lakini pia huwapendelea walimu wanaofundisha wanafunzi wenye uwezo mkubwa (mara nyingi wa shule za mijini).

Wastani wa bahshishi waliyolipwa walimu wa masomo ni shilingi 266,315.00 sawa na karibu asilimia 42 ya wastani wa mshahara wa kila mwezi (kabla ya kodi) mwaka 2016. Kiwango cha chini cha fedha kilicholipwa kwa walimu ni shilingi 8,100 wakati ambapo ni walimu wachache tu hawakuambulia kitu. Mwalimu aliyelipwa kiasi kikubwa kuliko wote alipata shilingi milioni 3.6.

Mbali na kuboresha matokeo ya kujifunza, mfumo wa kuwalipa walimu bahshishi umeonekana kuungwa mkono na walimu wengi:

• Walimu tisa kati ya kumi kwenye shule za majaribio wanaunga mkono wazo la malipo kwa matokeo.
• Walipoulizwa kuhusu utaratibu huu kuwa wa kisera, asilimia 63 ya walimu waliafiki kwamba Serikali iweke mfumo rasmi wa motisha kwa walimu kutokana na matokeo mazuri wakati yatakapofanyika maboresho ya mishahara (lakini asilimia 37 walisema kiwango cha malipo hayo kiongezwe na kiwe sawa kwa wote)

Mwaka 2016

• Shule 135 kutoka wilaya 21 zilizoshiriki kwenye utafiti na shule 60 zilitumika kwa ajili ya ulinganisho.
• Jumla ya wanafunzi 65,643 walifanya mtihani maalumu wakiwemo wanafunzi wa shule za ulinganisho.
• Kwa ujumla, wanafunzi 48,042 walikuwa katika shule ambako motisha ilitolewa na hivyo walifanikiwa kujifunza zaidi kuliko wenzao.

Matokeo haya ni kutoka awamu ya pili ya KiuFunza 2015 -2016. Katika awamu ya kwanza ya KiuFunza 2013 – 2014 Twaweza ilifanya jaribio la kupeleka fedha za ruzuku moja kwa moja shuleni (utaratibu huu sasa unatumiwa na Serikali kuanzia Januari mwaka 2016) na Malipo kwa walimu kwa matokeo ya kujifunza pekee na kwa kuchanganya ruzuku na bahshishi. Awamu hii ya kwanza ya KiuFunza ilionesha matokeo chanya ya kujifunza pale ambapo motisha kwa walimu na shule kupelekewa fedha za ruzuku moja kwa moja vilipochanganywa. Awamu ya pili ya KiuFunza ilijaribu mifumo makini zaidi ya utoaji wa motisha baada ya Serikali kupeleka Ruzuku ya Uendeshaji wa Shule moja kwa moja shuleni 2016.

Twaweza imechagua kujikita kwenye kuwalipa walimu fedha za motisha awamu ya kwanza na ya pili ya KiuFunza kwa sababu ushahidi kutoka maeneo mbalimbali duniani unaonesha kuwa motisha huwahamasisha walimu kuongeza jitihada katika kufundisha na kuleta matokeo chanya ya kujifunza. Kwa kuongezea, KiuFunza (na tafiti nyingine) zinaonesha wazi kuwa motisha kwa mwalimu na uwajibikaji ni mambo ambayo yamekosekana shuleni. Wakati wa ziara za kushtukiza katika shule za msingi mwaka 2016:

• 41% ya walimu walikuwa darasani wakifundisha.
• 27% hawakuwepo shuleni.
• 32% walikuwepo shuleni lakini hawakuwa darasani kufundisha.
• kutokana na walimu kutohudhuria darasani inakadiriwa kuwa Shillingi bilioni 793 hupotea kila mwaka, yaani hulipwa kama mishahara kwa walimu amba hawakufundisha.

Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa Twaweza Aidan Eyakuze, anasema, “Twaweza, kwa kushirikiana na IPA tumeonesha kuwa utoaji wa motisha kwa mwalimu unaweza kuboresha matokeo ya kujifunza. Japokuwa kujifunza kunachangiwa na mambo mengi, tumeonesha, kupitia utafiti huu wa kisayansi, kuwa kuchanganya motisha na uwajibikaji kunaweza kuleta matokeo mazuri ya kujifunza kwa wanafunzi. Huu ni ushahidi thabiti wa kile kinachoweza kufanyika na kuwa na uhakika kuwa tukifanya hivyo watoto wetu watajifunza.

---- Mwisho ----

Kwa taarifa zaidi wasiliana na: Annastazia Rugaba | e:arugaba@twaweza.org| t: (+255) (0) 687 222 197

Ujumbe kwa wahariri

• Twaweza inafanya kazi kwa lengo la kuwezesha watoto kujifunza, wananchi kuwa na utayari wa kuleta mabadiliko na serikali kuwa wazi zaidi na sikivu katika nchi za Tanzania, Kenya na Uganda. Tuna programu, wafanyakazi na ofisi katika nchi zote tatu, na utaratibu unaoheshimika kimataifa wa kujifunza, ufuatiliaji na tathmini. Programu zetu muhimu ni pamoja na Uwezo, tathmini kubwa ya kila mwaka ya wananchi barani Afrika inayopima viwango vya watoto vya kujifunza kwenye maelfu ya kaya, na Sauti za Wananchi, utafiti wa kwanza Afrika wenye uwakilishi wa kitaifa unaofanyika kwa njia ya simu ya mkononi. Pia tunashiriki kwenye masuala ya umma na sera, kupitia ubia wetu na vyombo vya habari, juhudi za kimataifa zinazoshughulikia masuala ya uongozi kama vile mpango wa Ushirikiano na Serikali wazi (OGP).
• Kupata makadirio ya upotevu wa pesa za walipa kodi zinazotokana na walimu kutohudhuria darasani: walimu wa madarasa ya I, II na III kwa wastani hulipwa shilingi milioni 9 kwa mwaka (kutokana na fidia kabla ya makato ya kodi, kama walivyosema walimu). Kwa kutumia kigezo kuwa asilimia 46 hawakuwepo madarasani, walipa kodi wamepoteza shilingi milioni 4.1 kwa mwaka kwa kila mwalimu ambaye alipaswa kuwa akifundisha lakini hakuwepo darasani. Haya ni makadirio ya chini kabisa kwani gharama iliyoanishwa ni kwa walimu wa madarasa ya I, II na III, lakini ukweli ni kwamba madarasa haya na madarasa ya juu hufundishwa na walimu wakongwe ambao hulipwa mishahara mikubwa zaidi.
• Kwa mujibu wa takwimu za Wizara ya Elimu Sayansi na Teknolojia (Basic Education Statistics – BEST) za mwaka 2016, Tanzania ilikuwa imeajiri walimu 191,604 katika shule za msingi za umma. Hii ina maana kuwa makisio ya jumla ya hasara kwa mishahara ya walimu ni shilingi bilioni 793 kila mwaka.
• KiuFunza II ilifanya majaribio ya aina mbili ya utoaji wa motisha:
• Kwenye shule ya Stadi mwalimu hupokea bahshishi kwa kila mwanafunzi kwenye darasa lake ambaye amefaulu mtihani wa stadi husika. Kwa mfano, kwenye kusoma Kiswahili, mwanafunzi wa darasa la I ambaye anaweza kusoma silabi humpatia mwalimu wake bahshishi ndogo; kama mwanafunzi anaweza pia kusoma maneno, mwalimu hupata bahshishi zaidi; kama anaweza kusoma aya mwalimu hujipatia bahshishi zaidi, na kuendelea. Na hivyo hivyo kwenye hisabati, ambapo huhusisha stadi za kuhesabu, kutambua namba, kusema namba ipi ni kubwa, kujumlisha, kutoa na kuzidisha na (kwa darasa la II na III) kugawanya.
• Kwenye shule ya Mashindano, wanafunzi walipangwa kwenye moja kati ya makundi 10 kitaifa kulingana na uwezo wao kutokana na majaribio ya mwaka uliopita. Makundi haya yalipangwa kuanzia ngazi za chini (wasioweza kusoma chochote, na wasio na ufahamu kabisa wa hesabu) mpaka ngazi za juu (wanaoweza kusoma kwa mfululizo, na kufanya hesabu vizuri). Kila kundi huhusisha wanafunzi kutoka shule za KiuFunza nchi nzima. Kwa mfano, kundi linalohusisha wanafunzi wa darasa 2 wanaoweza kusoma maneno ya Kiswahili lakini hawawezi kusoma sentensi huweza kuwa na mwanafunzi kutoka Mbozi na mwanafunzi kutoka Geita. Maendeleo ya wanafunzi hawa ndani ya mwaka hulinganishwa na kuzawadiwa. Mwisho wa mwaka, wanafunzi ambao wamefaulu majaribio vizuri sana katika makundi yao hupata nafasi za juu na huwawezesha walimu wao kupata bahshishi kubwa. Jumla ya malipo kwa kila mwalimu hutegemea nafasi ya kila mwanafunzi wake. Walimu ambao watawezesha wanafunzi wengi kushika nafasi za juu kwenye makundi yao hupatabahshishi zaidi.
• Unaweza kufuatilia kazi za Twaweza

Tovuti: www.twaweza.org          Facebook: Twaweza Tanzania    Twitter: @Twaweza_NiSisi

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Press Release | 14 December 2017

Performance pay for teachers means their students get an additional three months​ of learning during the school year

Teacher incentive program helps over 48,000 students to improve in Kiswahili and Mathematics

14 December 2017, Dar es Salaam: After a two year trial, Twaweza, in collaboration with COSTECH and Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), has shown that cash on delivery (or performance pay) for teachers can significantly improve learning outcomes. The results show positive effects on student learning with pupils learning in one year what would normally cost them 15 months to learn.

The results of the pilot project known as KiuFunza, the largest of its kind in East Africa, were presented during a discussion event with education stakeholders in Dar es Salaam.

Over the two years of KiuFunza, Twaweza and IPA tested the following initiatives in close to 200 schools across 21 districts in Tanzania:

·         Rewarding levels of learning in a one group of schools (Stadi)

·         Rewarding value-added learning in a second group of schools (Mashindano)

Both models were tested to compare results achieved against a group of control schools whose teachers were not given the incentive. While Mashindano is more complex to understand than Stadi, it is also more equitable for the teachers, since students compete with peers at their own level. Stadi is easier to understand but it also tends to advantage to teachers with higher-ability students (often in urban schools).

The average bonus earned by subject teachers is TZS 266,315 or about 42% of the average net monthly wage in 2016. The lowest bonus paid was TZS 8,100 and a few teachers received nothing. But the highest paid teacher earned TZS 3.6 million, or about six months of the average teacher salary.

Aside from improving learning, performance pay is also supported by the majority of teachers:

·         Nine out of ten teachers in trial schools support the idea of performance-based pay

·         When asked whether the government should include a performance-based bonus scheme in a future salary review, 63% of teachers say yes (while 37% prefer a flat increase).

In 2016

1.       There were 134 schools in 21 districts in the trial and 60 schools used as a comparison or control group

2.       A total of 65,643 pupils were tested including those in the control schools.

3.       In total, 48,042 pupils were in schools with the incentives in place and were therefore supported to learn more than their peers

These results are from the second phase of KiuFunza. The first phase trialed the direct delivery of capitation grants to schools (which was subsequently adopted by the government as policy in January 2016) and cash on delivery for teachers – separately and in combination. This phase found significant positive impact on learning outcomes from a combination of teacher incentives and direct delivery of capitation funds. The second phase builds on this to trial different models of incentive systems since the capitation grant delivery model has already been adopted by the government.

Twaweza chose to focus on teacher incentives for the first and second phases of KiuFunza because evidence from around the world shows that teacher effort can have a significant impact on learning outcomes. In addition, KiuFunza (and other studies) clearly show that teacher motivation and accountability are lacking. During surprise visits to primary schools in 2016:

·         41% of teachers were in class, 27% were not at school and 32% were in school but out of class.

·         The estimated cost of this teacher absenteeism from school is TZS 793 billion every year.

Aidan Eyakuze, Executive Director of Twaweza, said “Twaweza, working with IPA have shown that teacher bonuses can improve learning outcomes. Although learning is driven by a complex range of factors, we have shown, through rigorous scientific research here in Tanzania, that the combination of motivation and accountability can yield great results for children.  We have produced concrete evidence of what works to ensure that children learn.”

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For more information: Annastazia Rugaba | e: arugaba@twaweza.org | t: (+255) (0) 687 222 197

Notes to Editors

•        Twaweza works on enabling children to learn, citizens to exercise agency and governments to be more open and responsive in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. We have programs, staff and offices across all three countries, and a globally respected practice of learning, monitoring and evaluation. Our flagship programs include Uwezo, Africa’s largest annual citizen assessment to assess children’s learning levels across hundreds of thousands of households, and Sauti za Wananchi, Africa’s first nationally representative mobile phone survey.  We undertake effective public and policy engagement, through powerful media partnerships and global leadership of initiatives such as the OGP.

•        To calculate the loss of taxpayer money caused by teacher absenteeism: a Standard 1-3 teacher costs on average TZS 9 million per year (based on pre-tax compensation, reported by teachers). According to Basic Education Statistics (BEST) data, Tanzania employed 191,604 teachers in public primary schools in 2016. This means that the total primary school wage bill is about TZS 1,724 billion per year. (This is a low estimate since the cost per teacher is for Standard I-III teachers and higher grades are typically taught by more senior and better-paid teachers). Using the 46% classroom absence rate for 2016 across all grades we estimate that taxpayers are losing TZS 793 billion annually for teaching services contracted but not delivered (or TZS 4.1 million per teacher).

•        KiuFunza II tested two different models of incentives:

o        In a Stadi school a teacher receives a bonus for every child in her classroom that passes a curriculum skill test.  For example, in reading Kiswahili, a Standard I student that can read syllables earns her teacher a small bonus; if the child can also read words, the teacher earns more; if she also reads a paragraph she again earns more, and so on. The same applies to Mathematics, where the skills include counting, recognizing numbers, telling which number is larger, adding up, subtracting; and multiplication and (in Standards II and III) division.

o        In a Mashindano school, children were placed in one of 10 national ability groups based on the previous year’s test. Ability groups range from low level (cannot read anything, no knowledge of  numbers) to high levels (can read fluently, do math operations well). Each ability group would typically have students from KiuFunza schools from all over the country. For example, a Standard 2 ability group for students who can read Kiswahili words but not sentences could have a student from Mbozi and a student from Geita. The progress of these students over the year is compared and rewarded. At the end of the year, students that did the test very well in their group received a high rank which resulted in a high bonus for the teacher. The total payment for each teacher is determined by the rank of each of his students. Teachers that moved many of their students to the top of their national ability group therefore earned a lot.

•        Web: www.twaweza.org     Facebook: Twaweza Tanzania     Twitter: @Twaweza_NiSisi