Milele Zanzibar Foundation Provides 200,000 New English Language Books to Zanzibar Schools. Teachers Attend Training in Promoting English Language and Literacy

8 February, 2017 Stone Town, Zanzibar – For two days, educators from across Zanzibar are gathering to receive training to teach new books in English language instruction in schools.  The training presented by Milele Zanzibar Foundation and Oxford University Press compliments the 200,000 books that were financed by Milele Zanzibar Foundation, and produced in partnership with the Zanzibar Institute of Education (ZIE) at the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training. The books, "Let's Learn: English for Zanzibar Primary Schools" promoting English language and literacy for Grades 1-4 were published by Oxford University Press and evaluated by a committee including representatives from the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training and the State University of Zanzibar’s School of Education. The first books were launched at a ceremony in January in Mgonjoni by Former Vice President of Tanzania Dr. Gharib Bilal and The Revolutionary Government ofZanzibar’s Minister of Education and Vocational Training Riziki Juma. 

“The publication of these books is part of Milele Zanzibar Foundation’s greater interest in improving the delivery of quality education in Zanzibar. Great care was taken to produce the highest quality books possible as it is imperative that students are well prepared to read, write and speak English by the time they reach grade 5. Teachers also need to be fully equipped with the knowledge and teaching methodologies and techniques to teach English given proficiency gaps even amongst teachers themselves.” explains Khadija Shariff, Head of Programs at Milele Zanzibar Foundation.

The books align to the 2009 Ministry of Education and Vocational Training Zanzibar English Syllabus for Primary Schools and are targeted to Zanzibari children respecting and referencing the local culture, history, geography and traditions in design illustration and textbook content. 

The book series is also aligned to the current Zanzibar English syllabus to ensure that the teachers are able to prepare students appropriately to meet the learning objectives laid out in the national curriculum. The series follows a communicative and thematic approach to build reading, writing, speaking and listening skills and using every day scenarios and through role-playing, group work and other creative games.

Ms. Fat-hiya Breik, English Instructor and English Resource Teacher at Kiembesamaki Teacher Center explains, “The activities of the books made the students communicate and participate well during the lesson and also helped them become more confident and active.” 

The series is also accompanied by teachers’ manuals to aid in instruction that enhance teacher competence, comprehension, and performance.  The manuals have been reviewed during this week’s training equipping English teachers in Zanzibar with the skills required to teach the books and demonstrating English teaching methodologies that allow teachers to actively teach and engage students in the material, and strengthen teachers’ understanding and usage of the English Language.  

“We are very happy to have published

not only workbooks but teachers’ guides with detailed, step by step instructions on executing each lesson using various methods and to achieve well defined objectives.“ explains Fatma Shangazi of Oxford University Press.

The training is also an opportunity to discuss the common problems and challenges English teachers face.  "Let's Learn: English for Zanzibar Primary Schools" will begin being used in Zanzibar classrooms in February 2017.

##About Milele Zanzibar Foundation: With a vision for vibrant, resilient and sustainable communities in Zanzibar, the Milele Zanzibar Foundation’s mission is to accelerate progress in the areas of health, education and livelihood opportunities in rural and remote areas through holistic and sustainable development programs.

About Oxford University Press: Oxford University Press (OUP) is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. OUP is the world's largest university press with the widest global presence. It currently publishes thousands of new publications a year, has offices in around fifty countries, and employs nearly 6,000 people worldwide. It has become familiar to millions through a diverse publishing programme that includes scholarly works in all academic disciplines, bibles, music, school and college resources, children's books, materials for teaching English as a foreign language, business books, dictionaries and reference books, and academic journals.