President Jakaya Kikwete has said every secondary school student in the country will have own computer to aid them when studying in the coming five years. He said by then, all schools will have been connected to the internet.
He said this yesterday when addressing a public rally at Okaoni Ward after opening a police station and houses for police built by residents of Kibosho Division, Moshi Rural District in Kilimanjaro Region.
The President said the government was working to connect all secondary schools to the national optic fibre system, adding that every student would be taught how to use the Internet.
"We want all secondary schools to be connected with the optic fibre in five years time to enable teachers to teach many students at once," he said, adding, "We want every student to have their own computer connected to the Internet".
Investors from the US had agreed to help in the distribution of the gadgets and technology, the President said. He added that schools currently going without electricity and those not connected to the Internet would be assisted to access the services.
Explaining further on the project, he said that the government would start with 3,192 schools in six districts as a pilot project sometime this year. He would not mention the districts.
"We are in the 21st Century; there is all reason to make our people move hand in hand with the technology they need by availing modern facilities to them and their children. That is why we think that every child must have a computer to use while studying," President Kikwete insisted.
He said the government was aware of the problem of the inadequate number of laboratories in most of the secondary schools and that it was working with the African Development Bank (AfDB) to build the science facilities and install modern equipment in every secondary school.
On the problem of teachers, he said: "The shortage of teachers is being worked out and will be reduced soon after the stakeholders had increased the number of teaching colleges".
President Kikwete said some people had ignored the government's directive of building secondary schools in every ward without knowing that the number of schools that existed since the colonial period was not enough to cater for the country's present population.
He said a total of 550,000 students were selected to join secondary education this year in various schools and that over 700,000 missed the chance due to fewer number of schools.
The President said the intention was to ensure that ward secondary schools received one million students who finished Standard Seven every year.
"We want to reach a place where each pupil who starts Standard One is assured of getting secondary education without facing any hindrances," he said.
He also said the government had set aside a budget for buying books for all secondary schools to avert the problem of students sharing one textbook.
Speaking to voters earlier, the Member of Parliament for Moshi Rural, Dr Cyril Chami, said the constituency has put in place strategies to boost coffee production.
Dr Chami, who is also Industry, Trade and Marketing deputy minister said all councillors had received training on the handling of the cash crop.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
