Prof. Sheriff and Form 4 exam scandal

Dear Salma and the others

I think we are dealing with this question without consideringsome essential issues of rights and responsibilities, and proportionality ofcrime and punishment, and indeed even the Union question comes in.
Salma is trying to convince us that there are some terriblethings that the students have been doing – and I do not doubt it –but obviously there is a distinction between being involved in stealing aquestion paper, and one who does not know the answer who writes Bongo Fleva, orone who uses the opportunity to engage in dirty language. I can see at least 3different issues, and we cannot have a single punishment for all 3.
When I was in Form 2 a classmate of mine used the occasion tohit at British imperialism in 1957 rather than answering questions on Englishliterature, and he was failed; but he was allowed to repeat and passed the followingyear. If this could be done by our British colonial masters, why are we morebrutal than they?
Secondly, even those who did engage in stealing the paper, is athree-year punishment reasonable? To all practical purposes, a student who hasto remain out in the wild for 3 years is finished educationally. It is aneducational death sentence. Why do we want to treat so brutally our ownchildren who made a big mistake, but hopefully will learn the lesson if theyhave to repeat one year.
There is also the question about who is responsible for the examleakage – only the students? not the teachers who are supposed to supervisethe exams? how did the leaked exam papers reach all the way to far-awayvillages in Pemba where children could probably hardly afford to pay the heavy pricefor the leaked papers? Indeed, is not the Baraza la Mitihanio itself the mainculprit for allowing the exams to leak in the first place? Would it not be morejust to send the Baraza la Mitihani packing for 3 years, or even permanentlybecause they are adults who have been given an important responsibility, andfailed?
But then there is the wider question of Zanzibar in the Union. Barazala Mitihani for some reason was made a Union matter among many that were illegitimatelyadded to Union list; but education is not a Union matter. The job of the Barazais to set the exam and mark them, honorably if they can. How did they acquirethe power to determine how the Ministry of Education in Zanzibar wants to dealwith its students who made mistakes and engaged in an unruly way? They are ourchildren, and we have to take care of them in or outside the classroom. Do wein Zanzibar want to increase the gangs of malcontents who will resort to theft,drugs, etc. I say no. Let the mainland deal with the issue their way, but letus not surrender our responsibility to our children’s education or allow thepower of the Zanzibar Government to further diminish. Let this not be yetanother of the never-ending kero za Muungano.

Yours sincerely

Abdul Sheriff