Tanzania’s National Examination Body Cracks Down on Abusive Language in Scripts
The National Examinations Council of Tanzania (Necta) has announced a firm stance against the use of abusive and offensive language in national assessment tests, vowing to take disciplinary action against 19 pupils who exhibited such behaviour in the 2025 Standard Four and Form Two examinations. This decisive move comes as a response to a concerning upward trend of candidates resorting to inappropriate language within their examination scripts.
Necta has confirmed that the affected pupils will not only face the cancellation of their examination results but will also be subjected to further disciplinary measures. Official figures reveal that in the October 2025 Standard Four national assessment, eight pupils were found to have used abusive language, while 11 Form Two candidates committed a similar infraction.
During a briefing on Friday, January 10, 2026, Necta Executive Secretary, Professor Said Mohamed, elaborated on the council’s strategy. He stated that formal letters will be dispatched to the heads of the schools where these students are enrolled, as they remain integral parts of the educational system.
“We will formally communicate with the relevant authorities, including school principals and school boards or committees at the primary school level,” Professor Mohamed explained. “We will also involve parents to ensure that stringent actions are implemented to eradicate this behaviour entirely.”
Professor Mohamed highlighted the growing nature of this issue, particularly among younger learners. “Our statistics indicate that we are now beginning to observe the use of abusive language even among Standard Four pupils,” he noted. “Last year, we recorded five such cases; this year, the number has unfortunately risen to eight. Given that these pupils are still within the educational framework, it is imperative that we implement corrective measures.”
Addressing the Root Causes of Misconduct
Ms. Asha Mwakalukwa, an expert in education and parenting, has lauded Necta’s directive, emphasizing its necessity in signalling that this behaviour is not being dismissed as a minor offence but rather as an indicator of a broader moral decline among children.
Ms. Mwakalukwa posited that the use of abusive language in examinations is a reflection of deeper challenges in upbringing and the environmental influences children are exposed to. She pointed to factors such as the unrestricted proliferation of social media and the prevalence of inappropriate language within society as significant contributors.
“Rather than solely resorting to result cancellation as a form of punishment, the proposed follow-up actions by schools and the involvement of parents will be instrumental in identifying the underlying causes of this behaviour and addressing them at an early stage,” Ms. Mwakalukwa stated.
Examination Malpractice and Pass Rates
In a related development, Necta has also announced the cancellation of results for 41 Standard Four pupils and 29 Form Two candidates who were found to have engaged in examination malpractice.
The results for the Standard Four national assessment indicate a strong performance overall. A total of 1,324,970 pupils, representing 88.91 percent of candidates, successfully passed and met the criteria to advance to Standard Five, having achieved grades A, B, C, and D. This figure represents an increase of 2.51 percent compared to the performance recorded in 2024.
For the Form Two national assessment, 705,091 candidates, or 86.93 percent, qualified for progression to Form Three, having attained grades one through four. This marks an improvement of 1.52 percent over the previous year’s results.
A significant advancement in the 2025 Form Two assessment was the introduction of two distinct streams for the first time, including a dedicated practical skills stream.
The results from this practical skills stream demonstrated exceptional success, with a 100 percent pass rate achieved in engineering-related subjects. These included:
- Electrical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Automotive Studies
- Information and Communication Technology
In the non-engineering practical subjects, the performance was also largely positive. Out of 14 subjects offered, eight achieved a perfect 100 percent pass rate. These subjects encompassed:
- Agriculture and Food Processing
- Hospitality and Tourism
- Fashion and Tailoring
- Sports and Creative Arts
However, a notable area of concern was the Leather Goods and Footwear sector, where performance was significantly lower. In this particular sector, only three out of 20 candidates, equivalent to a mere 15 percent, managed to pass the assessment.
Candidate Attendance Remains a Challenge
The persistent issue of registered candidates failing to sit for their examinations continued to be a factor in 2025. At the Form Two level, a substantial 77,689 candidates, representing 8.74 percent of those registered, did not participate in the examination.
Similarly, at the Standard Four level, out of 1,583,686 registered pupils, 93,309 candidates, or 5.89 percent, were absent from the assessment.
