93.6 Percent of VSI Students Pass National Exam

Girls attend class at a Village International School

This year in Tanzania, local newspapers blasted headlines about the education system facing a major crisis. Students were failing the country’s national exams at an alarmingly high rate, including the government schools, which had reportedly seen 4 out of every 5 students fail. But we are proud to announce that students at our partner school, Village Schools International, are beating the odds: 829 out of their 885 students who took the national exam passed the test — that’s 93.6 percent!

Village Schools International strives to give opportunities to the wasiochaguliwa, or the “unchosen ones”—the students who are orphaned or come from poor neighborhoods that society deems “not good enough” for their government schools. We are so happy that these children at our partner school are showing the world that no matter what your economic or social status, with the right resources and encouragement, you can succeed in school, beyond an entire country’s expectations.

But we’re bringing you even more great news from Tanzania: VSI, which is a network of 21 secondary schools, is now opening a kindergarten school! In an effort to give young children in the Tanzanian village of Madisi a head start in life before heading to primary school, VSI began building a kindergarten building at the beginning of March that they hope will be finished in time for the next school year. We can’t wait to hear how the future kindergartners will do!