Final day of training

Final day of training                           Saturday, September 10, 2016

The day began with writing up an assignment left to us yesterday.  In general the training met my expectation as I have learnt on how to use the blog, search for credible sites and verify the information as there are a number of sources some of which are not credible. I liked the way the training has been interactive and user friendly. As a lecturer, I have learnt and added some values to my teaching career.  

As part of learning, assignments is part and parcel of the training and I welcomed the task with both hands as I was learning by doing. The research assignment in my opinion is a test for the facilitator to know whether the subject has been understood or not. Again, the facilitator wanted us to show the sources of our materials used in writing our articles and show us that attributing to sources is an honest way to do our tasks.

In doing my assignment, I had to search for the related and relevant information to my topic until when I got saturated. Then I took time to read the materials collected to find out an angle to begin my article.  The lesson I learnt from this training is that one needs to accumulate materials, filter them and then plan the angle for the story or article.

There are a number of issues to be taken to my students, using the internet for searching materials, verification of information search and using blogs for sharing information with students. 

In general, the four day training has added value to career as journalism lecturer. I thank MISA Tanzania chapter and Vikes for the training.

The Nile Perch decline in Lake Victoria artificial

The Nile Perch decline in Lake Victoria artificial

Saturday, September 10, 2016

By Pascal Shao

Charles Robert Darwins’ theory of natural theory proposed among others that competition from humans would lead to extinction of some species in the environment. Human activities to meet their daily needs are attributed to the disappearance of different species making it difficult for people to get their daily basic needs, food, shelter and clothing.

In the Lake Victoria, that is shared by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, the drop in Nile Perch stock and catch have fallen at an alarming rate, threatening the lives of inhabitants surrounding whose livelihood is dependent to entirely to the lake. The Nile Perch or scientifically known as Lates niloticus was first introduced to the lake in 1950s by the British colonial government, was not a much preferred meal at the table only for ordinary families. According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, “Originally, the fishermen did not like Nile perch, because they had problems with handling, processing and marketing the fish; the larger and relatively fat perches could not easily be dried or transported”.

However, as the demand for Nile Perch in the European market and the growing population of Mwanza as well as the neighbouring regions, lead to the heavy investment in fishing activities. A number of fish processing plants mushroomed in Mwanza and other regions surrounding Lake Victoria.  With this situation, a number of benefits were registered in the country, a large of people was employed in the sector, the economy of Mwanza soared and the government collected tax from fishery, to mention only three and development in terms of infrastructure and other economic activities to support the growing population in the region.  

Nile Perch fillet as processed in the factory for export
(A courtesy of the Google pictures)

Despite the paradox of the Nile Perch of feeding on the other species causing making them extinct, fishermen started using illicit ways of harvesting fish, the use of chemicals, catching immature fish, corrupting fishery officials as well as using small size fishing gears, are rampant in the lake. The habit has lead to the sharp drop in the fish stock and catch in the lake. The Mwananchi Tanzanian Kiswahili daily reports that if this habit continues, Nile perch will become extinct in thirty years to come.

Efforts to curb the drop has been in place including patrols, a ban of beach seines, experts from three riparian countries suggested seasonal fishing to allow their replenishment as well as European Union threat to buy fish from Lake Victoria. All these efforts turned futile and business as usual continues in the lake. 

If this trend is left unchecked, fishermen, and fish processing firms will have not option rather than to close, the demand for fish will hike, the economy will drop and the people will turn to be employment refugees, leading to crimes in the region.

Nile Perch skeletons with its head processed from the factory for the ordinary people and animal feeds (A courtesy of the Google pictures).

The drop in Nile Perch stock and catch in Lake Victoria is artificial and not a natural phenomenon as Darwins postulated in the past.

Day Two of the training

Day Two of Training                                                            Friday, September 9, 2016

The second day of training was a continuation of the first day of the training particularly working with blogs. Basically, it was about creating links with other websites, searching for contact numbers, locations to mention just three. Surely, it has been a great opportunity to learn more about blogs and links. As I said early, it has been a simple task in working with blogs. It’s my belief that my expectations would be met after its end.

For Journalism lecturers, the training has been quiet resourceful and they now able to do research through the internet systematically. This knowledge is going to add value on how they facilitate learning amongst their students. Above all, I believe the training would help lecturers assists students to plan their literature searching and writing as academicians, taking into account verifying information and check on plagiarism.

The training has also help to know whether my blog is live or dead by looking at the statistics on number of visitors to my page. The bigger the number the usefulness the blog is and opposite is true. It is my duty to sustain my blog with valuable information depending on my target audience. Knowing the intended audience is key to the production of content. Also, I learnt that comments from the visitors, helps the blogger to communicate effectively.

It is my hope that day three of the training will complement learning of the past two days of the training. This is because the training is organised coherently and logically. I believe the training has made the difference.

Day one of the training

Day one of the training      
                                                   Monday, September 7, 2016

It was a cool Wednesday morning of September 7, 2016, a group of thirteen academic members of Journalism and Mass Communication Department converged at the Archbishop Mario Mgulunde Learning Centre, ready for the Internet Training for Journalism Lecturer.    The training is being facilitated by the Peik Johansson from the Finnish Foundation for Media and Development (VIKES) and coordinated by the MISA Tanzania Chapter.

As a motivation to the facilitator, the training began with knowing and hearing from their trainees on what they expect for the four day training. They mentioned that they expect to learn how to create and use blogs, using internet in search for materials and verification of the materials, to name just three, and the facilitator pointed out that plagiarism and copyrights should also be put into consideration.

Personally, I enjoyed the first day of training as I added a new idea on the opening up a blog. At first, I thought it involves a lot of expertise and one should be equipped with computer training. It has been a simple task to open up a blog. I can boldly say, I am a blogger and my task ahead is to fill the blog with information for sharing with the world. 

It is an opportunity for me to share and link up with the world on information sharing and researching. I have also learnt that despite the number of smartphone users in Tanzania, the country is lagging behind in terms of internet users. Asia as the continent is the leading internet user and the number is large due to the emerging industrial countries such as Japan, China and Singapore. 

In general, the training would add value to my teaching profession as I would not be obliged to give hard copies to my students instead I will give my blog address to access my posts Assignments, readings etc.

Concept paper on Liberal education in the 21st century: It’s significance for community development in Tanzania

Concept paper

Pascal Adelard Shao

St. Augustine University ofTanzania

Department of Sociology

Liberal education in the 21st century: It’s significance for community development in Tanzania

 

Introduction

This study seeks to assess the relationship between liberal education and development of Tanzania. As the 21^st century is featured by competition, control and domination (Myumbo 2009, p. 1), then education is to make sure that it accommodates them adequately.  The opposite is what the liberal education is accused of extending social classes between the rich and poor, ignored the traditional knowledge the Tanzanians and extended colonialism in the form of neo-colonialism. Therefore, liberal education has not helped Tanzanians to face and deal with life complexities to liberate themselves from poverty and the features of the 21^st century. For that reason, the study seeks to find the reasons to why liberal education has not produced the intended fruits in Tanzania.

Background of the study

After the independence in 1961, some 52 years ago, a new government ‘inherited an economically poor and illiterate society and one which citizens were unable to employ simple measures to ameliorate their living conditions because they were ignorant of what was necessary (Mushi 2009, p. 4).  For that reason, it had to declare three enemies namely, ignorance, poverty and diseases, as the hinderance to nation building programmes and development of the country.  Education was perceived to be the major programme which can accommodate the other two national enemies, poverty and diseases. It was also meant to transform people’s thinking and accepted that the problems facing them are the ‘Act of God’ and therefore are beyond human control.

At independence, 90 percent of the population was in rural areas earning living from a subsistence agriculture using traditional methods. This kind of agriculture could not take Tanzania to step further of development, without modernising it by farmers acquiring new ways of modern agriculture.  Surely, education was highly needed to bring about changes in the way of doing things. The mining industry was underutilized because it lacked geologists while the only existed mine was that of Williamson Diamond in Shinyanga, employed a total of 22, 000 people of the 9 million population (Mushi 2009).   Therefore, true liberation from the constraints inherited from colonialism would occur when people become the decision makers of their welfares through hard work.

Several education programmes and policies were introduced to assist people to change their society namely, universal primary education (UPE) and adult education. The education is post independence Tanzania majored on ‘readdressing the discriminatory and irresponsible legal of the colonial education system’ (Komba 2012, p. 24). Before independence, educational access was restricted to few basing on race, gender, climate and geography. Mbunda (1978) notes that the education provided was meant to impart skills and provide knowledge to enable few Africans to become productive servants of the colonial state. Thus, education was not meant to for change in African perspective rather an extension of colonial rule.

Statement of the problem

Tanzania is a country endowed with abundant natural resources, almost unparalleled on the African continent. It is blessed with spectacular tourist attractions like the Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater, the Kilimanjaro Mountain, the beautiful Zanzibar beaches, fertile land, and minerals like Tanzanite, diamonds and gold. It has also fisheries from the Indian Ocean and from remarkable water bodies such as Lake Victoria and Tanganyika.

Despite all these natural gifts, the country continues to be listed as least developed nation. Salient features include per capita income of below $1000, high child mortality, rising unemployment, growing crime, rampant corruption, lack of access to basic human needs like safe drinking water, good education and proper housing, to mention but a few. As a result, Tanzania remains a permanent recipient of the development packages for its well being. These problems are complex, and may each require a specialized, deeper study and solution. However, the fact remains that the system of education in Tanzania, since independence, has not met the overall demand in terms of innovation, creation of self starters, critical thinkers and researchers capable of developing their nation. Therefore, the need to have a liberal education is beyond question. A Kiswahili saying that elimu ni ufunguo wa maisha, meaning education is the key to life, sums it up all. If Tanzanians believe that education is essential to their success, then there is need to question the quality of the education and find ways of transforming it for their own development, especially in the 21st Century. This is the rationale for this research.

Theoretical framework

This thesis is supported by two theories that is Post-colonial Theory and Amartya Sen‟s theory of Substantive Human Freedom in the development enterprises.

1.5.1 Post-colonial Theory

The post-colonial theory examines the domination by western powers such as England and France and the creation of foreign empires. Central to this theory is an analysis of the inherent ideas of European superiority over non-European peoples and cultures inherited from colonization. As the term implies, one of its central features is to examine the impact and continuing legacy of the western conquest, colonization and domination of non-western lands, peoples and their cultures (Ashcroft, Griffiths and Tiffin, 1995).

Therefore, this thesis seeks to uncover, through the post-colonial theory, the damaging effects of such ideas on both the identity of the colonized and the instability of the conceptual underpinnings of the colonisers. A key feature in such critical theoretical examinations is the role played by representation in thinking, writing, installing and perpetuating superiority. To put it simply, how does representation perpetuate negative stereotypes of the other cultures? How do such stereotypes negatively affect the identity of the stereotyped?

Furthermore, given de-colonization following the Second World War, and the development of independent nation-states, the theory wants to find out what is the role of representation in the construction of new post-colonial identities? Thus, post-colonial theory stresses humanity-in-the-making, humanity that will emerge once the colonial figures of the inhuman and of racial differences have been swept away (Ashcroft, Griffiths and Tiffin, 1995).

The theory of substantive human freedom in development

Amartya Sen‟s theory of substantive human freedom in the development enterprises, on the other hand, treats poverty as a contextual matter of capability deprivation, and not absolute low per capita income (Rahnema and Bawtree, 2003). What is at stake, according to Sen (1999: 87), is not some fixed minimum income, the poverty line, but the notion of “poverty as human capabilities” of which there are many influences, apart from low income.

Therefore, the theory of substantive human freedom asserts that development should not be understood as a process which achieves certain pre-conceived just outcomes such as a more equal income distribution. Instead, it should structure the development of interdependent societies in a way that citizens make social choices as fully functioning human beings. In addition, development should create appropriate conditions for practical and voluntary realization of human capabilities across societies and not just within one society (Sen, 1999).

This theory is also empowering. It draws one‟s attention to the capabilities of people to do things in freedom. Human capabilities, argues Sen (1999) and also Nussbaum (2000: 79-20), include living a normal lifespan, enjoying good health, moving freely from place to place, thinking, seeing, and imagining. It is about choosing to form emotional attachments, formulating a view of good life, associating freely and participating in the political and material culture of society. What it takes to realize these capabilities will vary considerably from culture to culture, even if the capabilities themselves are nearly all universally common.

What is critical for the theory of substantive human freedom in development is not just that one has the opportunity to realize these capabilities, but that to a reasonable degree, one can achieve some reasonable mix of them. Sen (1999: 88) describes this as being able to convert capabilities to actual “functionings.” His view of development in expanding substantive freedoms directs attention to the ends that make development important, rather than to merely some of the means which inter alia play a prominent part in the process. Therefore, Sen (1999: 18) suggests a broadening focus to development, namely from income and wealth to substantive human freedoms which he calls “capabilities.”

Methodology

The researcher will employ both qualitative and quantitative techniques as the means of gathering information needed to answer the research questions.

Data collection techniques

Data will be collected through the use of three main data collection techniques namely in depth interviews, content analysis of news articles and documentary review. The interview will be recorded.

Sampling

The researcher expects to interview 50 respondents in a period of 18 months in Tanzania. The sample will be purposively selected and will include reporters, editors, members of the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT), members of the ethics committee of the MCT, members of the editors’ forum, opinion leaders from educational and Non Governmental Organisations. The researcher will also employ a snowball sampling technique to get people who have registered complaints to Media Council of Tanzania Ethics Committee and Court.

Research output

The study is expected to be my doctoral thesis.

References