Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa in the African Great Lakes region. It is a formation of two countries: Tanganyika and Zanzibar which merged in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. Zanzibar, lying 25-30 kilometres off the coast of Tanzania Mainland, is a formation of two sister islands of Unguja and Pemba. It is nested in the Indian Ocean in all north-south and eastwest borders. Zanzibar City is the capital city of Zanzibar. The total area of Zanzibar is 2,460 sq km and the population is at 1,303,569 as of 2012 (Tanzania National Census Bureau, 2012: 2). Zanzibar has retained its state government and has its own authority over all non-union matters, education is among them. By 2000, Zanzibar had 207 public schools and 118 privately owned schools (Sacmeq.org. Accessed 7 December 2014). The primary and secondary school administration system in Zanzibar is slightly different from that of the Tanzanian mainland. On the mainland, education is only compulsory for the seven years of primary education, while in Zanzibar an additional three years of secondary education are compulsory and frees (Sacmeq.org. Accessed 7 December 2014). There are three cycles of secondary education in Zanzibar. The first cycle - junior secondary which covers the Orientation year, Form 1 and Form 2 (14 - 16 year olds) is part of compulsory basic education. The second cycle - senior secondary covers Forms 3 and 4 (17 - 18 year olds) and comprise students who are selected after the national Form 2 examination. Forms 1-4 comprise what is commonly called Ordinary Level (or “O”-Level) Secondary (MoE, 1999: 25). The third cycle, usually referred to as the Advanced Level (or “A”-Level) Secondary, covers Forms 5 and 6 (19 - 20 year olds) and comprises students who are selected after the National Form 4 Examination (MoE, 1999: 25).