Drums played and smiles stretched wide as Standard 7 students celebrated their graduation this month. In Tanzania, Standard 7 marks the final year of primary school, after which students continue to Form 1, the first year of secondary school.
This milestone represents a new chapter of learning and growth, filled with excitement, opportunities, and the promise of greater challenges ahead.
This year’s graduation was a memorable celebration, attended by teachers, parents, and invited guests who came together to honour the students’ dedication and achievements. True to tradition, the graduates excelled in the Tanzanian National Standard 7 Examinations, demonstrating their discipline and the strong guidance of their teachers. The School of St Jude has a proud history of academic excellence, with 100% of students passing the National Standard 7 Examinations for the past 14 years.
To mark their success, students, staff and visitors enjoyed a special lunch together, creating a warm and joyful atmosphere that added to the excitement of the day. The graduation ceremony was filled with music, speeches, cultural performances and proud applause as each student was recognised for their achievements.
Roman, a Standard 7 graduate says he is looking forward to taking the next steps in this academic journey, with hopes to join the school soccer team in Form 1.
“I’m excited because I’ll be having new experiences in Form 1. My parents and teachers advise me to put in a lot of effort in my studies every day. I am eager to learn new subjects like biology and chemistry,” says Roman.
Fellow Standard 7 graduate Agape also shared his excitement about moving on to secondary school and exploring new subjects.
“Science and math are my favourite subjects because I want to be a scientist. Learning new subjects like chemistry and mixing up some chemicals excites me. Like other great scientists like Isaac Newton, I want to be a great scientist and be featured in books,” she says.
A huge congratulations to all our Standard 7 graduates! Your hard work, determination, and achievements inspire us all, and we cannot wait to see the incredible things you will accomplish in the years ahead.
Future doctors, engineers, nurses and entrepreneurs. These were just some of the aspirations echoing around Smith Campus this month as students, sponsors and invited guests came together for one of the most anticipated events on the school calendar: the 11th Form 6 Graduation.
The graduation marks a key milestone in the Tanzanian education system, which is divided into three main stages: seven years of primary school (Standard 1 to 7), four years of secondary school at the Ordinary Level (Forms 1 to 4), and two years of Advanced Level secondary education (Forms 5 and 6).
The School of St Jude hosts three graduation ceremonies annually, corresponding to these three main levels, along with a special celebration for alumni completing tertiary education.
This year, 166 students proudly crossed the stage, bringing the total number of Form 6 graduates to 1,500+ since the first class in 2015.
Attendees enjoyed vibrant cultural performances by current students, tributes to dedicated staff members and reflections on the achievements of the Class of 2025.
A special highlight of the ceremony was a joint address by Angela Bailey, who was St Jude’s first volunteer teacher when the school opened in 2002, and her father, John Bailey, a long-time supporter, current board member and the school’s legal counsel since 1997. He sponsored the scholarship of one of this year’s graduating class.
“Life can take you to places you never imagined existed. To our sponsors and donors, we cannot say how much your support has helped us achieve our ambitions. We are grateful,” says Nickson, Form 6 graduate, in his farewell speech on graduation day.
“Our teachers, thank you for all the endless effort that you made towards our performance. Our parents, you have always been our pillars of strength. Thank you for seeing the light that sparkled in us.”
The Class of 2025 had much to be proud of, excelling in various extracurricular activities, particularly debate and public speaking.
Notably, graduate Mwajabu Hoya earned national recognition after winning gold and being named Tanzania’s best public speaker at the National Debate Championships. The school’s debate team also celebrated a major win, earning the title of Best Debate Team in East Africa in 2024.
In another milestone, the Class of 2025 became the first in St Jude’s history to receive personal laptops earlier this year, a significant step in supporting their future academic and professional pursuits.
The next stage for graduates is pursuing higher education at various universities and colleges. Many choose to apply to the Beyond St Jude’s Scholarship Program (BSJSP), which supports graduates with tertiary education.
As part of this program, they will undertake community service placements for a year, volunteering as teachers in understaffed government schools, or at various placements throughout St Jude's. Then they go on to access higher education supported by St Jude’s sponsors and donors.
Through the holistic education offered at St Jude’s, the Class of 2025 has been able to reimagine a future filled with endless possibilities – for themselves, their communities and their country.
