On the evening of November 4, the opening ceremony of the first phase of the Online Professional Development Program for Primary Mathematics Teachers in Tanzania—supported by the World Bank and hosted by the UNESCO Teacher Education Centre (TEC)—was successfully held in a hybrid online and offline format at TEC’s Mingyuan Hall.
The ceremony was chaired by Dr. Liang Xiaoyan, Lead Education Specialist of the World Bank. Attendees included Venance Manori, Deputy Director General of the Basic Education Department under Tanzania’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology; Joe Mhoja, Official of the Department of Provincial Administration and Local Government Affairs of the Tanzanian President’s Office; Aneth Komba, Director of the Tanzania Institute of Education, and Fika Mwakabungu, Director of the Curriculum Training Centre; Jiang Mingjun, Vice President of Shanghai Normal University (SHNU); Zhang Minxuan, Director of TEC; key officials from relevant departments of SHNU; Tanzanian primary school teachers participating in the program; and TEC’s project team.
Tanzanian representatives delivered speeches first at the ceremony. Director Komba thanked the World Bank and TEC for their intellectual, human, and financial support for Tanzania’s basic education development, which has ensured the learning opportunities and quality for Tanzanian primary school teachers.
Subsequently, Jiang Mingjun, Vice President of SHNU, addressed the audience. He noted that the ceremony coincided with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s visit to China, which has further upgraded China-Tanzania relations and forged a solid friendship between the two countries—making the opening ceremony even more meaningful. He introduced SHNU’s research and practical achievements in primary education and basic education over the years, and expressed anticipation that the existing Shanghai and Chinese experiences would contribute to the development of basic education in Africa.
In his speech, Deputy Director General Manori of Tanzania’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology introduced the two primary schools participating in the program. He emphasized that the primary mathematics teaching materials compiled by TEC’s project team would help Tanzanian teachers transform their mathematics teaching methods and enable students to master the problem-exploring, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills essential for 21st-century learners.
Joe Mhoja, Representative of the Department of Provincial Administration and Local Government Affairs of the Tanzanian President’s Office, first expressed sincere gratitude to the World Bank, TEC, and SHNU. He hoped that after the pilot implementation in the two schools, the program would be scaled up as soon as possible to benefit every primary school in Tanzania.
Finally, Professor Zhang Minxuan delivered a concluding speech on behalf of TEC. He outlined two prospects for the program’s future: First, if Tanzania has further needs, TEC could cooperate with the Tanzania Institute of Education to establish a joint research center to conduct research on the program’s teaching and effectiveness, and provide better technical assistance and information sharing. Second, outstanding Tanzanian teachers and scholars involved in the program would be invited to pursue further studies in Shanghai, helping them receive systematic and comprehensive high-level teacher education to contribute to the development of Tanzania’s basic education.
Following the opening ceremony, Professor Huang Xingfeng, the program’s person in charge, chaired the first seminar. Fu Lin from East Shanghai Experimental School, Zhang Yuru from Jiangfan Primary School (Chongming District, affiliated to Shanghai No. 1 Normal University Affiliated Primary School), and Ye Huini from Xuhui Experimental School Affiliated to Fudan University delivered teaching demonstrations and explanations on arithmetic within 10 to the participating Tanzanian primary school teachers.
It is reported that the Online Professional Development Program for Primary Mathematics Teachers in Tanzania is a new initiative developed by TEC based on the successful implementation of the Tanzanian Mathematics Teachers Training Program over the past two years. After gaining an in-depth understanding of the actual needs and teaching levels of Tanzanian teachers, the project team independently compiled and developed textbooks, training handouts, and video courses covering 5 thematic modules, all of which have been shared with the two pilot primary schools in Tanzania.
The pilot program involves 2 schools and 16 teachers. Over the next two months, under the guidance of the Chinese team, they will learn how to use emerging educational technologies and teaching methods to optimize primary school mathematics operation teaching.
