Cracks in support for two Tanzanian rural primary schools with high performance on national exams

National examinations are the principle method for tracking school quality and selecting students for successive educational levels in Tanzania. A qualitative approach is used to investigate the effects of high-stakes testing at two government primary schools with high passing rates in rural northern Tanzania. Extensive interviews and observations reveal that teachers’ interactions with students including their instruction and management strategies are compromised by national exam preparation. In follow-up interviews, the majority of participants desired changes in the content and structure of national exams and the teaching methods used to prepare students for exams.