AfricaPress-Tanzania: PRESIDENT John Magufuli has outlined his government’s achievements in the education sector recorded in period of almost five years that he has been in power, free primary and secondary education for all being among the highlights.
Between 2015 and 2020, the government spent about 1.01trl/- in the provision of free education countrywide, he said.
Dr Magufuli was speaking at the Tanzania Teachers’ Union (CWT) Annual General Meeting (AGM) which convened here to elect various representatives in the top leadership team that will lead the union over the next five years.
The president said that when he ascended to power in 2015, there were 16,899 primary schools countrywide, the figure had risen to 17,804.
On secondary schools, in 2015 Dr Magufuli said there were 4,708 but there were currently 5,330.
He added that his administration had repaired 73 old schools out of 89 that had been neglected before he came to power, adding that so far, 2956 laboratory equipment had been equipped.
On vocational training, Dr Magufuli said that there were only 672 VETA colleges in 2015 but today, there are about 712 colleges.
On higher learning institutions, Dr Magufuli said he had over the nearly five years’ span helped more Tanzanians to pursue their studies, and injected more funds into the Higher Education Students Loans Board (HESLB).
“When I came to power, the government was providing 341bn/- for students’ loans, but during the 2019/20 financial year, we dished out about 450bn/- for HESLB,’’ he stated.
Dr Magufuli further outlined achievements on school enrolment, whereby in 2015 it stood at one million but in 2020 enrolment in primary school stands at 1.6 million.
On secondary education, the president said that in 2015 it stood at 1.6 million students but today the enrolment stands at 2.1 million, adding that passing rates had gone up.
In Standard four, the president said the passing rate was at 61.9per cent, standard seven (81.5per cent), while the pass rate in secondary schools was 80.65per cent).
The Head of State used the occasion to tell the nation that Tanzania had won the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic, insisting that he was contemplating to open all schools in the country.
The Head of State directed the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children to seek information on all face masks that are being donated by different organisations and institutions to ensure that they are safe for Tanzanians.
Dr Magufuli expressed doubts over the safety of some of the face masks being brought into the country, saying they might be intended to infect people maliciously.
He thus called for thorough verification of the masks by health experts before they are used by Tanzanians.
The president said that the country should be cautious on people who posed as well-intentioned philanthropists, but might in reality be ill-intentioned, by seeking to infect the people.
However, the president expressed optimism that the country had won the war over coronavirus, saying he was contemplating to open schools so that teachers who had stayed home for a long time resume their duties.
