Dar Es Salaam — IT is now common knowledge to hear some employers complaining that a newly recruited university graduate possesses a certificate, but cannot deliver or do the actual work assigned. Employers experienced in hiring people know exactly the importance of people's skills and ability to deliver expected output without which, the educational qualification becomes important but less useful.

It is quite common coming across people with great ideas, theories and ways to solve complex problems, but they fail to put it in practice or communicate the ideas clearly or effectively, hence complicating the process to delivery and ultimate realizing envisaged goals. A recent research has revealed that some of graduating students' exhibit problems in delivering what is written in their certificates or degrees and others have expression or communication barrier when it comes to put what they have learnt into practice.

The report indicated that English language has been one of the major barriers facing

many graduates and will equally be problematic even among teachers as the universities will be compelled to recruit young staff in the face of massive exit (retiring) of the older teaching cadre in the coming four to five years.

The use of English as a medium of instruction in postprimary education in Tanzania is entrenched in education policy, and apart from few selected public primary schools and the privately owned English medium schools, primary schools uses Kiswahili as medium of instruction and English is taught as a subject.

This has had a bearing in development of students at secondary school and higher level particularly in science, mathematics and other subjects as these are now taught in English and they are supposed to comprehend to be able to write their examinations. For a good number of students, they cope, adapt and are able to comfortably write their exams well, express themselves and deliver what they are expected at work.

But a sound number do write their exams well but fail to communicate and deliver at work. This further impinges on socio-economic development of an individual and access to opportunities. It also directly relate to the question of power relations and resource distribution. It is further argued that language barrier is a socio-economic issue, since it entails a reversal of power relations and may lead to certain groups in the community which cannot communicate well finding themselves at the fringes of the socio-economic and political spectrum.

Language is about choice, speaking rights, representation, and since language is inseparable from politics and development, it becomes a prerequisite for socioeconomic development in any community. President Jakaya Kikwete said recently while opening a regional education workshop that education provided should be able to spiral the development not only of the concerned students and their families, but also of the nation at large.

"This time around, we have resolved to ensure that our children are adequately equipped to be able to think clearly and act rightly," he said, adding that "we know that it is not what is poured into student that counts but what is planted in them," The Minister for Education and Vocational Training Prof. Jumanne Maghembe told the 'Daily News' recently in an interview that the government was set to address language barrier problems from this fiscal year.

The government has already realized the problem and has sought interventions not only on the language barrier but also in mathematics and science related subjects. "We are aware of the deficiencies emerging from English, mathematics and science related subjects, the government has set to address them effectivelly this financial year," he said. He said the government was from this fiscal year set to invest more resources on these subjects in order to create more experts who will contribute greatly to economic development.

The problem of mathematics for example, is known worldwide even in some developed

countries they have same deficiencies though not to the same level as in the least developing nations. Apart from mathematics, more insistence on science subjects will be made from secondary schools by creating more conducive and facilitative environment for students to learn more intelligibly.

"The government has already formed a committee to undertake research on how to address these academic problems in order that it may remain a history," Prof Maghembe said.

Education remains at the top of the government development agenda, according to Prof Maghembe, and the government was set to address challenges facing the sector. He said mathematics and science subjects were core in national plans particularly in facilitating various discoveries which were essential for the country's development.

He agreed that language barrier and poor foundation on mathematics and science subjects have been among the setbacks which make most of the graduates less competitive especially in the labour market. But the University of Dar es Salaam Vice Chancellor Prof. Rwekaza Mkandala says that the higher learning institutions provide learning methodologies while the remaining part should be filled up by the students themselves.

"Most graduates think learning ends with the graduation. Learning is a continuous process that has no end. After graduating, it starts a period of practice which goes together with the deepening of the skills obtained from the university," he said. He said there was need for graduates to have focus, perseverance and dedicate their professional life to deepening all what they learnt at the universities in order to make themselves more competent particularly when it comes to job competition in the labour market and promotions.

"Challenges are there, but graduates should be flexible and adopt to new environments intelligibly in order to deliver what they are expected for their own development and that of the nation at large," he said. The founding father of the Nation, the late Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere while inaugurating the University of Dar es Salaam in 1970 said that university was an institution of higher learning, a place where people's minds were trained for clear thinking, for independent thinking, for analysis and for problem solving at the highest level.