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- Feb 11, 2007
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Wednesday, January 18, 2017
We’re sidelined, say education experts
Although there are some improvements in the sector, including the implementation of a free education programme for primary and secondary schools to meet the election pledge by President John Magufuli, whereby Sh18.777 billion is being dished out monthly, some problems are yet to be solved. PHOTO|FILE
In Summary
By Deogratius Kamagi @Deogratiuskamagi dkamagi@tz.nationmedia.com
Dar es Salaam. If it were to improve the education sector, the government should, this time around, take heed of the advice from experts, stakeholders say.
Speaking to The Citizen on different occasions, education stakeholders have aired various concerns regarding the general situation of education sector development in the country, some impacting negatively on it.
They highlight some of the chronic challenges in the sector as including shortage of loans to higher education students and failure to address teachers’ grievances.
Although there were some improvements in the sector, including the implementation of the free education programme for primary and secondary schools to meet an election pledge by President John Magufuli, whereby Sh18.777 billion is disbursed monthly for the purpose, some problems are yet to be solved.
There was also a countrywide campaign to address a shortage of desks in public schools to ensure no student sits on the floor during class.
According to the Minister of State in the President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government), Mr George Simbachawene, until December last year, free education targets had been achieved by 99 per cent.
But, scholars want more efforts to speed up delivery of the objectives.
“This year, the government should consult scholars on how to improve the sector, or else people shouldn’t expect big results,” says Dr George Kahangwa of the University of Dar es Salaam.
According to him, experts’ views are relevant and will help to address educational challenges.
“We saw 2016 featuring complaints about a shortage of loans to higher education students and controversial orders by the Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Prof Joyce Ndalichako, which together disturbed the sector,” he says.
Among the orders, there were the banning of non-degree programme students from wearing graduation gowns, the ban of private companies from publishing textbooks and the order to expel 700 students who were pursuing a special diploma course in science education and mathematics at the University of Dodoma.
According to the minister, the move aimed at improving the quality of education to meet the job market requirements within and outside the country.
The expert argues further that, the government should, indeed, make education its number one priority by doubling its budget to address financial challenges in the sector, including addressing a shortage of teachers.
“Clearing arrears that the government owes teachers and increase the capacity of the Higher Education Students Loans’ Board (HESLB) should be a better way to go. It is high time we improved the foundation by correcting last year’s mistakes,” he says adding: “We don’t expect to see last year’s blunders. 2017 should be the year of improvement for the betterment of the sector. There should be deliberate efforts to bring about positive results.”
Tanzania Association of Managers and Owners of Non-Government Schools and Colleges secretary-general Benjamin Nkonya calls on the minister to establish the National Education Advisory Council as per the Education Act of 1978.
He says the minister was to blame for not forming the council.
He notes that since she assumed the office, the minister had never heeded advice from stakeholders instead she had been running the docket according to her own views.
“Rules and regulations should be observed,” says Nkonya.
Tanzania Teachers Union (TTU) President Gratian Mukoba urges the government to pay teachers’ dues and improve their working condition.
He says the move would be possible if the minister found it important to sit down with teachers and discuss better ways of addressing educational problems. Until now, the government owes TTU billions in outstanding salaries, annual leaves, promotions and transfers.
“This is what has been happening to teachers for many years. There are no deliberate efforts in place to address our concerns,” he says.
TTU deputy secretary-general Ezekiah Oluochi calls on the government to employ all teachers, who graduated between 2015 and 2016 to curb the shortage in public schools.
He says public secondary schools were short of 40,000 teachers, 30,000 being science experts and 10,000 for art subjects.
“Yet, the government is telling us that it will employ only 4,000 science teachers this year. This is unacceptable,” he laments.
According to him, the government should revise the education policy as a way of ending sector grievances.
“The ministry should be open-minded to receive recommendations and opinions from stakeholders,” he says adding:
“The minister has been frustrating a good system set by her predecessor, Dr Shukuru Kawambwa.”
He calls on the government to set aside funds for school inspection to realise an increase in education standards, adding that efforts should go alongside issuing enough learning materials in public schools.
A non-governmental organisation for research and analysis, Twaweza, calls for implementation of a school feeding programme for primary and secondary schools to improve academic performance.
Twaweza executive director Aidan Eyakuze said this during the presentation of findings on the impact of school feeding on schoolchildren’s academic performance.
According to him, children’s academic performance was affected by how well-fed they are.
He added that in the current fee-free education era, school meals and feeding programmes had fallen by wayside.
Eyakuze urged parents and school management to work together to ensure children get meals at school.
We’re sidelined, say education experts
Although there are some improvements in the sector, including the implementation of a free education programme for primary and secondary schools to meet the election pledge by President John Magufuli, whereby Sh18.777 billion is being dished out monthly, some problems are yet to be solved. PHOTO|FILE
In Summary
- Educational stakeholders accuse the fifth phase government of failure to address challenges like shortage of classrooms and loans
By Deogratius Kamagi @Deogratiuskamagi dkamagi@tz.nationmedia.com
Dar es Salaam. If it were to improve the education sector, the government should, this time around, take heed of the advice from experts, stakeholders say.
Speaking to The Citizen on different occasions, education stakeholders have aired various concerns regarding the general situation of education sector development in the country, some impacting negatively on it.
They highlight some of the chronic challenges in the sector as including shortage of loans to higher education students and failure to address teachers’ grievances.
Although there were some improvements in the sector, including the implementation of the free education programme for primary and secondary schools to meet an election pledge by President John Magufuli, whereby Sh18.777 billion is disbursed monthly for the purpose, some problems are yet to be solved.
There was also a countrywide campaign to address a shortage of desks in public schools to ensure no student sits on the floor during class.
According to the Minister of State in the President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government), Mr George Simbachawene, until December last year, free education targets had been achieved by 99 per cent.
But, scholars want more efforts to speed up delivery of the objectives.
“This year, the government should consult scholars on how to improve the sector, or else people shouldn’t expect big results,” says Dr George Kahangwa of the University of Dar es Salaam.
According to him, experts’ views are relevant and will help to address educational challenges.
“We saw 2016 featuring complaints about a shortage of loans to higher education students and controversial orders by the Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Prof Joyce Ndalichako, which together disturbed the sector,” he says.
Among the orders, there were the banning of non-degree programme students from wearing graduation gowns, the ban of private companies from publishing textbooks and the order to expel 700 students who were pursuing a special diploma course in science education and mathematics at the University of Dodoma.
According to the minister, the move aimed at improving the quality of education to meet the job market requirements within and outside the country.
The expert argues further that, the government should, indeed, make education its number one priority by doubling its budget to address financial challenges in the sector, including addressing a shortage of teachers.
“Clearing arrears that the government owes teachers and increase the capacity of the Higher Education Students Loans’ Board (HESLB) should be a better way to go. It is high time we improved the foundation by correcting last year’s mistakes,” he says adding: “We don’t expect to see last year’s blunders. 2017 should be the year of improvement for the betterment of the sector. There should be deliberate efforts to bring about positive results.”
Tanzania Association of Managers and Owners of Non-Government Schools and Colleges secretary-general Benjamin Nkonya calls on the minister to establish the National Education Advisory Council as per the Education Act of 1978.
He says the minister was to blame for not forming the council.
He notes that since she assumed the office, the minister had never heeded advice from stakeholders instead she had been running the docket according to her own views.
“Rules and regulations should be observed,” says Nkonya.
Tanzania Teachers Union (TTU) President Gratian Mukoba urges the government to pay teachers’ dues and improve their working condition.
He says the move would be possible if the minister found it important to sit down with teachers and discuss better ways of addressing educational problems. Until now, the government owes TTU billions in outstanding salaries, annual leaves, promotions and transfers.
“This is what has been happening to teachers for many years. There are no deliberate efforts in place to address our concerns,” he says.
TTU deputy secretary-general Ezekiah Oluochi calls on the government to employ all teachers, who graduated between 2015 and 2016 to curb the shortage in public schools.
He says public secondary schools were short of 40,000 teachers, 30,000 being science experts and 10,000 for art subjects.
“Yet, the government is telling us that it will employ only 4,000 science teachers this year. This is unacceptable,” he laments.
According to him, the government should revise the education policy as a way of ending sector grievances.
“The ministry should be open-minded to receive recommendations and opinions from stakeholders,” he says adding:
“The minister has been frustrating a good system set by her predecessor, Dr Shukuru Kawambwa.”
He calls on the government to set aside funds for school inspection to realise an increase in education standards, adding that efforts should go alongside issuing enough learning materials in public schools.
A non-governmental organisation for research and analysis, Twaweza, calls for implementation of a school feeding programme for primary and secondary schools to improve academic performance.
Twaweza executive director Aidan Eyakuze said this during the presentation of findings on the impact of school feeding on schoolchildren’s academic performance.
According to him, children’s academic performance was affected by how well-fed they are.
He added that in the current fee-free education era, school meals and feeding programmes had fallen by wayside.
Eyakuze urged parents and school management to work together to ensure children get meals at school.
