Arusha — Little-known Kilimanjaro Primary School located in Kwa-Iddi area near Ngaramtoni leads the nation as the top performing school in the recently released 2009 results for Class Seven Examinations.

Education officer Mr Raymond Mapunda said Arusha was also among the best performing regions in Tanzania.

In the region a total of 41,376 pupils sat for the final primary education exams this year with the number of girls at 21,110 beats that of boys at 20,266. Out of the total, 27,177 candidates have excelled (passed) the exams accounting for 65.7 percent which according to the REO was satisfactory.

Kilimanjaro school located west of the municipality but under the Arusha Rural district jurisdiction, has done Arusha region proud for being number one institution beating around 15,000 primary schools in the country in the 2009 primary school examinations results. Kilimanjaro was first nationally (Tanzania) regionally (Arusha) and in the District (Arusha Rural).

Kilimani Primary though second in Arusha region and was first in the Municipality became fourth nationally. Hady Academy was third regionally, second in Municipality and became number 5 countrywide. Other top performing schools in Arusha region were listed as Amani, St. Margaret, Jue Primary, St Jude, Upendo (debuting in top ten this year) and Green Acres.

The top 10 schools in the Arusha municipality are Kilimani, Hady, Loamo, High View, Mount Meru, Imani, Angelico Lipani, Shalom, High Ridge and Nalopa, in that order. Worst performing 10 schools in the municipality are Burka, Daraja Mbili, Sinon, Ukombozi, Unga Limited, Elerai, Nadosoito, Moivoi, Baraa and Mkonoo.

Arusha rural district had the most number of candidates who did the exams at 10,957 while Longido had the least with 1,718. Meru District however had the highest number of those who passed the exams at 6,998 though it had only 8,200 candidates.

Arusha region recorded 6,614 pupils who failed the exams. In 2009 only 856 expected candidates failed to show up for the final test due to a number of reasons.

So far 23,219 of the excelled pupils have been picked to join various Secondary Schools in what is being described as the 'first intake.' Some 3830 will have to wait a bit longer for the 'second intake.'

Meanwhile, Arusha's region's success in primary school leaving certificate examinations this year has been partly attributed to donor funded school feeding programme.

Regional Commissioner, Isidori Shirima told visiting United States Ambassador to United Nations Agencies in Rome, Ms Ertharin Cousin that Washington's support through World Food Programme, International Fund for Agriculture Development and Food and Agriculture Organization, is helping change lives in his region.

"This year we emerged number three overall on primary school examination results in the country. This success would have not been possible without the school feeding programme," Mr Shirima said when Ms Cousin paid a courtesy call at the RC's offices last Friday, reports the Guardian.

Mr Shirima said Arusha region also produced one of the best overall students countrywide, rivaling front runners such as Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro regions.

"We appreciate your support Madam Ambassador and we hope that your government will continue supporting us," he noted. Ambassador Cousin who visited Babati and Monduli districts in Arusha region, promised that Washington would continue the school feeding programme and that next year it will cover the whole of Babati district and also include other districts in the region.

Ms Cousin who visited Oltukai Primary School in Monduli district which is among the 350 beneficiaries under the WFP implemented programme, said: "The United States will continue supporting this programme which has enabled to improve school attendance among children of pastoralists."