Elections 2010 CHADEMA's Free Education Promise not a Hoax, a long awaited Response

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CHADEMA's EDUCATION PLAN IS NOT A HOAX IT IS A LONG AWAITEDIn Response to Tayari's Article : Is CHADEMA’s Education Plan a Hoax?


by Deus Valentine on Sunday, September 19, 2010 at 8:16pm



I think the challenge with this noble Idea is that it sounds or to be precise is made (by special interests) to sound so alien. We have been so immersed in UFISADI we even think basic rights like education can not be provided for free. From a human rights' perspective it is the only best way. Education is free at our next door neighbors - Kenya. Give Rwanda 3 years its gonna be free there. Up to high School education is free in the US, the UK and most so called developed nations. In most Scandinavian countries education is free with no limits. One goes through pre- school to becoming a Professor even more than once if so interest without having to pay a single dime because education is regarded as a fundamental inalienable human right. There is no point it sounding so alien in our own country.

I am all for this noble move. GOD BLESS Tanzania.

My Take:
This is what I would call "hoja hujibiwa kwa hoja"... Now, somebody else need to tell us why it is impossible to provide free education up to A Level.

This is where we should accept that we are Tanzanians and for that we can bravely make our own choice of the future we want for our country.

CCM is full of selfish people who enjoy bullying the 'have not' and the 'lessers'. They are people who enjoy schooling their children to PHD levels abroad while the neighbours' children couldn't even complete s.t.d seven. Ok, there is an unfounded excuse that their parents did not work hard....no no way... here in TZ!!!! work hard in embezzling public funds...UFISADI!!!??

Scandnavian flavor is people who believe in the best neighbourhood, the best communities and the best mutual interactions, to achieve this you need not only to be educated yourself but also to live with people of the same calibre. This is available only to people who do not live like contenders but partners, believing that teamwork is the best for fast and accurate development.

Hivi kama watoto wako wakisoma ulaya na wa jirani zako wakasoma chini ya mwembe, watakapokuja kuishi pamoja hapa nchini furaha yako ni nini? Kwamba watoto wako wataabudiwa? la hasha. Waliokosa elimu watakimbilia kwenye ujambazi na maisha ya watoto wako yatakuwa hatarini.....nchi hii haitakuwa Tanzania tena.

Mfumo wa elimu wa CCM utasababisha kuwe na wasomi wachache waliobobea na wasio na mahala pa kufanya kazi nchini hivyo wataenda kufanya kazi Cyprus........sorry nothing personal....lakini kutakuwa na mbumbumbu wengi ambao mwishowe watakimbilia bunduki....hivyo kazi za maana nchi hii zitachukuliwa na wageni.....lakini wabongo tutakuwa majambazi tuliojizira. Hali hii ni mbaya hata kwa maslahi ya hao watoto wa vigogo wa CCM. Dr Slaa ameliona hilo na anataka kuleta mabadiliko kuliokoa taifa hili na maangamizi haya.

East African Federation itatumaliza kabisa kwa hali hii inayoendekezwa na CCM kwa kuwa na mfumo huu mbovu wa sasa.

Pesa za radar ambayo haikuwa na manufaa yeyote ya maana zilitokea wapi? kwa bajeti ipi? na zile za kutoa rushwa je? CCM walizitoa kwa wahisani? Wizi wa pesa za madeni ya nje ambazo zilitumika kusaidia JK wa CCM ashinde je mnazionaje mnaopinga elimu ya bure...ziko nje ya bajeti au ndani ya bajeti au CCM imetoa kipaumbele kwenye nini hasa.....kuingia Ikulu???

Mkapa aliwahi kusema ''if you think education is expensive, try ignorance'' ingawa quotation hii aliitoa kutetea uchangiaji wa kinyonyaji lakini nadhani hakuelewa kuwa msemo huu ni kwa serikali ya CCM yenyewe ambayo inataka mkulima wa njegere mwenye pato la Sh 30,000/= kwa mwezi achangie gharama za zaidi ya sh milioni mbili kwa mwaka au la mtoto wake asisome. Hapa tuna-try ignorance chini ya CCM.

Mwalimu nyerere aliwahi kusema kuwa' if you want to help the poor, educate their Children'. Hiki ndicho CHADEMA na mgombea wao Dr. Slaa wanaahidi kukifanya,..... na kinatekelezeka.

 

[Kiranga]

Tanzania is not a poor country. We have so many natural resources (Gold, diamond, uranium, tanzanet, gas etc) and I am very surprised by your notion that our country is a poor country.

Poor in terms of balance of trade, huwezi kusema nchi tajiri kwa sababu ina maliasili ambazo hazinufaishi watu.

 

[Kiranga]

Pia kuna nchi tajiri tu za dunia ya kwanza na bado elimu ni bure.

Hatujawa nchi tajiri ya dunia ya kwanza bado, labda tukifika huko tutaweza kufikiria hilo. In any case hii siyo strong argument kwa sababu kuna wengine watakwambia kuna nchi tajiri za dunia ya kwanza ambazo hazina elimun ya bure kwa wote.

Nasoma mawazo ya wengi, naona watu hawaoni 9au hawajali kwa sababu tunapenda kuwa absolutist) distinction kati ya elimu bure kwa wasioweza kulipia na elimu bure kwa wote.

I support the former, not the latter.

 

[Kiranga]

Mimi nashindwa kuelewa watu wanaposema wanapopinga mpango wa CHADEMA wa kuinvest kwa watanzania through education, lakini watu hao walikuwa wakishangilia serikali iliponunua Jet ya Rais pamoja na Rada ! Mpango wa Chadema unawezekana kabisa kama ukiwa na viongozi wanaojali elimu!

Watu gani hao? Unaweza kuwataja au unafanya vast generalization tu? Mimi nimepinga manunuzi ya jet na rada na mengi yanayofanana na hayo, na napinga elimu bure kwa wote. Sasa nisingependa kuwekwa kundi moja na watu hao ambao hawana majina.

 

[Kiranga]

Elimu bure kwa wote bila kubagua ni matumizi mazuri ya rasilimali zetu. Hata kidogo mtu huwezi kunishawishi kuwa eti hayo ni matumizi mabaya ya fedha (rasilimali).

Mali bila daftrai, hupotea bila habari. Mnataka kuleta free for all scenario, hapo hapo mnasisitiza financial discipline kupunguza wizara and all, contradiction.

Kama kweli mnataka financial discipline na strict resource management waacheni wenye uwezo wajilipie.

 

[Njowepo]

Naona viongozi wetu wana problem ya kuwa na negative attitude tuu as a result hawana ata utashi wa kudare kufanya mambo

 

[Nyani Ngabu]

Mali bila daftrai, hupotea bila habari. Mnataka kuleta free for all scenario, hapo hapo mnasisitiza financial discipline kupunguza wizara and all, contradiction.

Yep...kupunguza wizara na matumizi mengine mabaya ya fedha ili kuwekeza zaidi ktk sekta ya elimu, afya, miundombinu na mambo mengine muhimu!! Hakuna ubaya hapo na hakuna contradiction.

Kama kweli mnataka financial discipline na strict resource management waacheni wenye uwezo wajilipie.

Hivi dhumuni la financial discipline na strict resource management ni nini kama siyo kuwa na fedha za kutosha kuwekeza kwenye miradi ya maendeleo?

 

[Emmanuel Tayari]

i have read the response by Emmanuel Tayari and for sure i think what he is trying to push is a neo-liberal ideology that states everyone for him or herself and God for us all!. I was fortunate to receive a free primary education at a primary school, High School and the University (Dar). My parents paid for my secondary education because i was not selected to join form one. In 1992 we had a big fight with Mwinyi, who had, in 1990, sent us home for the whole year when we demanded quality education. in 1992 we opposed cost-sharing once again the govt response was to send some of us home and also expel, for life, our leaders. The government then, and as it is now, argued that the country could not afford paying for the tertiary education. During the University of Dar es Salaam Senate Meeting that year, i told the Professors and Drs. including Profs. Luhanga, Mkude and Mlama that this did not make sense as they, themselves, had received free education and why they supported denying us the same? Of course i was blaming the wrong people as Mwinyi and his ministers had decided to teach us a lesson! I reminded Mr. Kinana when the two of us were here at Harvard, studying our masters degree in 1996-7, of all these and especially the amount of resources that our colleagues invest in their children. I asked him was it wise to send us home for one year because of demand for $20? He had no answer and given what i am hearing him say an do he has no answer even today.

Back to the point. The argument then was that free education was expensive and was crippling the economy. After all it was not important for everyone to be educated who was going to take care of our streets, roads and farms? Thus making a education a privilege of the few was very important and ensure that you have many uneducated people. As it is written in the Arabian Nights Wajinga ndio waliwao or ignorance is bliss! For sure the govt was, as it is, under the World Bank and IMF leash and was compelled to implement those dictates. Our government without any critical debate and discussion deprived the children of its own people the right to free education.

Surprise, surprise when the two IFIs came under serious attack on their operations in Africa and other parts of the world, they started arguing that primary education should be made free! Isn't it what Tanzania ,under the "wasting government" of its founder had done? No, this was the appropriate time to do so? Our government followed and we heard and saw all sorts of efforts to make it happen! Then when our Kenyan colleagues, in 2002, initiated free education up to the secondary school level, which was not opposed by the two IFIs, our government jumped into the bandwagon and introduced shule za kata!

But how did the western countries achieve their current level of development? The answer, is simple massive investment in public education. Here in America the GI Bill changed the lives of many Americans. It gave opportunities to children from poor families who had served their country inthe Second World War to pursue college education. All of a sudden those poor families lives changed into middle class. In America education is free from grade one to 12? You have an option to pursue private education, though. What about Norway which was at the turn of 20th Century the poorest country in Europe? Free education was key. What about UK? Free education was the answer? What about Botswana which in 1966 was the third poorest nation in the world? Good use of its mineral wealth and massive investment in education was and is the answer.

For those who don't know Botswana does not only give free education to its children up to the university level but it also provides scholarship to its students to study abroad. Those who are in Malaysia can attest to this fact as their more than 2,000 Botswana students studying there under government scholarship. The same is true here in America. I have studied and met Botswana students under government scholarship, here at Harvard and Yale. They are all-over the place. Their government demands of them to pursue graduate studies.

I mentioned Malaysia above but this deserves more explanation. At the time of its independence it was a deemed to be a God-forsaken place and people saw as very lazy and good for nothing. But when Maathir Mohamed took over in 1982 he changed it forever he committed massive resources into education. He sent many of its students abroad. At this point Malaysian students account for or about 23% of the tertiary education budget of the UK. And when the British government wanted to impose onerous visa conditions on Malaysian, as they do to us, Maathir said Malaysia will stop sending students to the UK. The British retreated. Malaysia now is a different country from what it was in the 1950s and 1970s. All because of massive commitment to free education.

i have given all these examples to show that investing in education is not a wastage of resources but rather its production. We should not be cheated by people who follow the dictates of poverty purveyors like the IMF and the World Bank. We must decide to tell them to go to hell! Even Kenya under Moi told them so. Did Kenya collapse? Nope? At this time we have many allies in the developed world who will stand-up with us when we come with good policies that seek to advance our peoples welfare. Those people can help us show the hypocrisy of the Bank and IMF.
Digressing a bit Zambia has canceled all mining agreements with mining companies? What was the Bank's reaction? It supported Zambia's move even though it was the one that was behind those agreements. Thus when we are advancing our peoples interests we stand better a chance of changing the economic discourse and also regain our sovereignty. It is for these reasons that I seen Mr. Tayari's argument unpersuasive and influenced by the neo-liberal thinking discredited for advancing the interests of IFIs and their patrons and perpetrating squalor to millions of people. I hope he will awake from his slumber and appreciate the fact that our people and children deserve a free and quality education. The most important debate for me is how can we make it happen?

Mkuu hakuna aliyebisha Elimu ya Bure haiwezekani; either kwa makusudi au kwa bahati mbaya ; umeamua kubadilisha maana ya nilichoandika.

Elimu ya Bure Inawezekana, lakini ninazani tutakuwa mapunguwani kuwalipia hata wale wanaojiweza, hii ni pointi ya muhimu:

Pili: Swali langu la Msingi ambalo limepotoshwa ni kwamba Je CHADEMA itakabilianaje na Mashirika ya Fedha Ili kuhakikisha malengo yake yanafikiwa katika kutoa elimu ya Bure ? Na nimeelezea kwa kina jinsi haya mashirika yalivyo kinyume na utolewaji wa huduma bure ? Hili ni swali la msingi kwasababu CHADEMA itakapoingia madarakani kama itashinda, Itayakuta haya mashirika , na haya mashirika hayawezi kubadilisha msimamo wao eti kwasbabu chadema imeingia madarakani, kwahiyo hilo ni swali la msingi na lazima lijibiwe bila kupindishwa pindishwa.JE CHADEMA wanaweza kuwaambia hao world Bank GO TO HELL Kama unavyosema? Haya yote yanahitaji majibu

Tatu: Wazo langu kuu katika jibu langu ilikuwa ni kuongeza zaidi uwekezaji katika maeneo ya Vijijini na Kupunguza uwekezaji katika maeneo ya Mijini, sasa kama wewe unaona hilo nalo ni unyonyaji sikuelewi. Ninaamini Watu wanaoshi mijini lazima wajitoe zaidi, walipe kodi zaidi na hata walipie haduma za elimu na afya. Kwa miaka mingi Tanzania na Nchi nyingi za Africa tumeendelea kuwekeza Mijini na kuwaacha watu wa Vijijini hoi, na kwa ubinafsi huo huo wakusema kila kitu Bure unakuta serekali inatoa kipaumbele kwenye hospitali/shule za majini wakati watu wamijini wanweza kujikimu kwenda kweny hospitali binafsi wakati huo watu wa Vijijini wanakufa bila huduma za afya.

 

[Remmy]

Cost sharing ilianza na hawahawa wafadhili. are budget is dependent. cost sharing haitakwepeka.

 

[Nyani Ngabu]

Elimu ya Bure Inawezekana, lakini ninazani tutakuwa mapunguwani kuwalipia hata wale wanaojiweza, hii ni pointi ya muhimu:

Kwa nini iwe upunguwani? Hiyo elimu ya bure si italipiwa na kodi za wananchi? Sasa kwa nini wale walipao kodi kubwa zaidi wasifaidi matunda ya kodi zao kupitia elimu ya bure kuanzia msingi hadi upili?

 

[Emmanuel Tayari]

Elimu bure kwa wote bila kubagua ni matumizi mazuri ya rasilimali zetu. Hata kidogo mtu huwezi kunishawishi kuwa eti hayo ni matumizi mabaya ya fedha (rasilimali).

Kuwaomba watanzania wenye Ahueni kulipia zaidi gharama za Jamii sio Ubaguzi ni Uzalendo.

 

[Kiranga]

Yep...kupunguza wizara na matumizi mengine mabaya ya fedha ili kuwekeza zaidi ktk sekta ya elimu, afya, miundombinu na mambo mengine muhimu!! Hakuna ubaya hapo na hakuna contradiction.



Hivi dhumuni la financial discipline na strict resource management ni nini kama siyo kuwa na fedha za kutosha kuwekeza kwenye miradi ya maendeleo?

Sasa kama dhumuni la kufanya A ni kuweza kupata uwezo B ili uweze kufanya C, kwa nini usifanye mambo serially? Fanya A, pata uwezo B then fanya C.

Leta financial discipline (including kuwalipisha wanaoweza kulipa) pata uwezo wa kiuchumi wa kulipia wote bila kujali kama wanaweza kujilipia au sivyo, then wekeza hizo vyovyote unavyotaka, hata kama ni kusomesha watu wote bure.

Wewe sasa unataka kuleta habari ya kusomesha watu wote bure kwa kodi ambayo hata hujakusanya?

Katika accountancy kuna kitu kinaitwa "realization principle" basically meaning do not count your eggs before they are hatched.

Sisi hata kodi hatujakusanya bado tushaanza kupigia mahesabu ya kusomesha kila mtu bure, hata hatujui tutaweza kukusanya kiasi gani in realistic terms. Na hata tukiweza kukusanya it is not like matatizo yetu ni elimu tu, tuna matatizo kibao. Tupange kutumia fedha zetu vizuri.

 

[Emmanuel Tayari]

Kwa nini iwe upunguwani? Hiyo elimu ya bure si italipiwa na kodi za wananchi? Sasa kwa nini wale walipao kodi kubwa zaidi wasifaidi matunda ya kodi zao kupitia elimu ya bure kuanzia msingi hadi upili?

Kwa kasi ya Maendeleo tunayohitaji Tanzania, tuhitaji kila senti inayoweza kukusanywa. Ila kama unasema swala la Kasi ya maendeleo sio kipao mbele kwako basi hakutakuwa na haja ya kuwalpisha wanaojiweza. Ila ninaamini Economic Growth inayotakiwa Tanzania itawezekana tu kwa kutokuchukulia any stream of income for granted.

 

[Abdulhalim]

Poor in terms of balance of trade, huwezi kusema nchi tajiri kwa sababu ina maliasili ambazo hazinufaishi watu.

The country is not poor..tunao tu vingunge wafuajaji wenye mawazo finyu ambao wamshindwa kukonvert rasimali kwenda katika terms zingine za valuables ambazo zingeweza kufanya mambo mengine. Lakini in terms of utajiri ktk larger picture sisi ni matajiri sana tuuu.

 

[Kiranga]

The country is not poor..tunao tu vingunge wafuajaji wenye mawazo finyu ambao wamshindwa kukonvert rasimali kwenda katika terms zingine za valuables ambazo zingeweza kufanya mambo mengine. Lakini in terms of utajiri ktk larger picture sisi ni matajiri sana tuuu.

Dude, unaelewa balance of trade niliyoitaja hapo juu ni nini?

Nenda dukani uwaambie watu "mimi baba yangu tajiri sana, ana mashamba mengi" nipatie mchele kilo kumi, uone kama utajiri wenu utakusaidia. Tunaongelea utajiri ulio liquid hapa, si maliasili ambazo hatuwezi hata kuzitumia.

 

[Nyani Ngabu]

Sasa kama dhumuni la kufanya A ni kuweza kupata uwezo B ili uweze kufanya C, kwa nini usifanye mambo serially? Fanya A, pata uwezo B then fanya C.

Leta financial discipline (including kuwalipisha wanaoweza kulipa) pata uwezo wa kiuchumi wa kulipia wote bila kujali kama wanaweza kujilipia au sivyo, then wekeza hizo vyovyote unavyotaka, hata kama ni kusomesha watu wote bure.

Wewe sasa unataka kuleta habari ya kusomesha watu wote bure kwa kodi ambayo hata hujakusanya?

Katika accountancy kuna kitu kinaitwa "realization principle" basically meaning do not count your eggs before they are hatched.

Sisi hata kodi hatujakusanya bado tushaanza kupigia mahesabu ya kusomesha kila mtu bure, hata hatujui tutaweza kukusanya kiasi gani in realistic terms. Na hata tukiweza kukusanya it is not like matatizo yetu ni elimu tu, tuna matatizo kibao. Tupange kutumia fedha zetu vizuri.

You can walk, chew gum, and talk on the phone at the same time, can't you?

 

[Abdulhalim]

Hatujawa nchi tajiri ya dunia ya kwanza bado, labda tukifika huko tutaweza kufikiria hilo. In any case hii siyo strong argument kwa sababu kuna wengine watakwambia kuna nchi tajiri za dunia ya kwanza ambazo hazina elimun ya bure kwa wote.

Nasoma mawazo ya wengi, naona watu hawaoni 9au hawajali kwa sababu tunapenda kuwa absolutist) distinction kati ya elimu bure kwa wasioweza kulipia na elimu bure kwa wote.

I support the former, not the latter.

Hoja hapo ilikuwa kwamba ktk nchi tajiri ukimsaka a common Joe kipato chake bado kipo juu, na angeweza kulipia hiyo elimu bila tatizo lolote, lakini bado serikali zao zinaona ni poa tu wasome bure. Yote hiyo inategemea mipango yao na wala sio suala la kukariri au kutaka tu based on kutaka, it should be backed with financial power of the government ktk ku-afford hiyo decision based on mipango na mikakati yake.

 

[Abdulhalim]

Dude, unaelewa balance of trade niliyoitaja hapo juu ni nini?

Nenda dukani uwaambie watu "mimi baba yangu tajiri sana, ana mashamba mengi" nipatie mchele kilo kumi, uone kama utajiri wenu utakusaidia.

Nani kongelea habari za balance of trade?

 

[Kiranga]

Nani kongelea habari za balance of trade?

Uliyemquote.

 

[Kiranga]

You can walk, chew gum, and talk on the phone at the same time, can't you?

Yes, but you can't project based on projection's projections.

One step at a time please. No quantum leaps this side of the atom.