December 2021 - Tumaini Primary School graduates transition to Tumaini Senior Secondary School!
After graduation, primary school students spend the next few months preparing for and taking the national exam, applying for secondary school, and attending Pre-Form 1.
Tumaini's Class Seven students have since started the transition to secondary school. This process begins with Pre-Form 1, a ten-week preparatory course offered at Tumaini Senior Secondary School and most secondary schools that give students a taste of the next four years.
Pre-Form 1 is not required to attend secondary school in Tanzania. However, since the period between the national exam and the release of the results is nearly two months, it is one of the best ways to keep students academically engaged while awaiting school assignments from the government.
The courses covered during Pre-Form 1 include English, Kiswahili, Civics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, and Introduction to Computer Science. The students also get to experience life on campus with potential new classmates, by living in the dormitories, and participating in school events. Unlike primary school, students take classes on an alternating schedule to best mimic the secondary school timetable.
At Tumaini Senior, students from across the region attend Pre-Form 1 in hopes of passing the entrance exam and joining the student body. Overall, this brief but intensive experience helps first-year students get oriented ahead of the new term and ultimately makes a difference in their academic performance.
When asked about the Pre-Form 1 experience Aurelia, a Tumaini Junior alumni shared, “There is so much to learn, so many new faces, and we are the youngest ones here. I already am focusing on doing well in math, biology, and chemistry because I want a medical profession.”
Christina added, "I am excited to be here because I can see former classmates who are older. We have access to great teachers. Even though we have new people to meet, it is still Tumaini so we know it will be a positive experience.”