Educational stakeholders’ comments on OMR system outlined

SOME educational stakeholders have faulted the introduction of multiple answer questions under Optical Mark Reader (OMR) system format for standard VII pupils in the country, on grounds that such system will not be a proper test of pupils’ intelligence. Investigation by The Guardian can establish. Speaking in different interviews early this week in Dar es Salaam, stakeholders have said that, out of all subjects mathematics is likely to pose doubt to ascertain pupils’ knowledge and their ability whether they are good or not for the subject. Commenting on the subject, they have noted that, it involves formula which a pupil has to apply in order to get answers and therefore, it is a good assessment to know pupils’ ability and the capacity of understanding of the subject. Contrary to the new system, the OMR Computer system has not been programmed to correct a pupil’s working formula, the Dean of the School of Education of the University of Dar es Salaam, Dr. Hillary Dachi has said According to him, the Computer system has been worked out only to detect the shaded answers in appropriate boxes on OMR answer sheet provided on which pupils would be indicating as their chosen answers. Detailing on the disadvantages of the whole system, Dr. Dachi is on the view of the fact that, “it might lead into confusion in the sense that it doesn’t measure working skills and furthermore there is a likelihood of getting unqualified students as most of them would be relying on guessing their answers” .“The danger part of it doesn’t assess students’ ability academically, a result of which a nation might get students who do not know how to read and write”.

The Executive Director of Hakielimu, Elizabeth Missokia.

He said. Dr. Dachi as a professional educational expert says that, “good students are assessed by the way they explain themselves on a particular topic educational wise in order to know their critical thinking”. Commenting for the same system, the Executive Director of Hakielimu an educational organization in the country Elizabeth Missokia congratulated the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training for introducing such system in the country as it is not a new thing in the world. She said by using OMR system for marking examination would rid off favoritism which has been complained to have been used by examiners. She has however, noted that the introduction of this new system is not an issue but what matters is how pupils have been prepared with the basic educational syllabus. “I want to be very positive as the system would lessen all possible queries which have been in the past about students’ failure after doing their national examination”. She said. Elizabeth is on the view of the fact that, challenges like a criticism and other forms of favoritism will no longer be their, and she is optimistic that there will be a fair marking of the examination papers by this system. However, she has urged Tanzanian especially students’ parents not top worry about as student preparation is something of the great importance, and in view of this teachers have to prepare their students from the beginning and their failure should nit be a reason that the machine has a problem. On Wednesday and Thursday this week a total of 894,881 candidates sat for their Standard VII National Examination. The exam featured multiple answer questions from which candidates shaded on the OMR answer sheets the correct inputs using HB pencil in a bid to curb cheating and other malpractices. This is for the first time in the history of the country whereby Standard VII National Examinations will be marked by a new technology system known as Optical Mark Reader (OMR).The five subjects that will be marked using the new technology system are English, Mathematics, Maarifa ya Jamii, Kiswahili and Science. The Deputy Minister for Education and Vocational Training Philipo Mulugo was recently quoted as saying that, “the new questions type will help students increase their confidence since they will be able to compare their solved results and those provided in the papers”. Giving an example of the application of the system in East Africa region, Minister Mulugo noted that OMR system was also applicable in Kenya and Uganda where it had proved to be very efficient. He is optimistic that the adoption of this system in Tanzania is long overdue. The use of the new technology comes at a time when there have been alarming cases of examination cheating in primary schools.Last year, Necta cancelled examination results for over 9,000 pupils due to cheating and ordered them to re-sit the papers in September this year.