Curriculum needs for university based agricultural education in developing countries : the case of Tanzania

This case study was carried out in Tanzania between April 1987 to December 1987. The main aim was to trace B.Sc. (Agric.) graduates from SUA who completed their studies in 1983, 1984 and 1985. Specifically the study tried to: (i) identify what the graduates were doing; (ii) determine which of the tasks they were doing needed training and the locale of such training; (iii) elicit perceptions about adequacy of their preparation by the University for the tasks they were called upon to do; and (iv) provide information to the Faculty of Agriculture at SUA on what its graduates were saying. It was intended to interview all the 1983, 1984 and 1985 graduates, a total of 188, but in the end only 110 graduates were traced and interviewed. A limited interviewing of immediate supervisors was also carried out. The major findings of the research were: (a) The SUA B.Sc. (Agric.) graduates are employed not only by the traditional research and extension agencies but they are to be found in other job categories, as well including credit agencies. (b) On the basis of tasks performed, SUA B.Sc. (Agric.) graduates get employed in jobs which deal with (i) management; (ii) livestock production; (iii) crop production; (iv) agricultural mechanization; (v) research; (vi) financial management; and (vii) education, extension and administration. (c) Employment into the above job categories is not very much related to options pursued. (d) Graduates felt that they were manifestly ill prepared by the University in some aspects of livestock production, research, finance, agricultural engineering, extension and administration. (e) The option system is good in preparing graduates in specific skills but it is bad as a whole because graduates are called upon to operate as generalists in most cases. (f) From the tasks and jobs performed by the graduates a composite job description of the B.Sc. (Agric.) graduate from SUA is drawn. As a result of the findings, some recommendations and suggestions for further research are made