Africa-Press – Tanzania. PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has ordered all councils across the country to make classroom construction a continuous task to accommodate the huge number of pupils completing primary education every year.
The Prime Minister issued the directive yesterday in Mwanza where he concluded his working tour, saying enrolment and continuous assessment conducted in primary schools give a clear picture of demand of classrooms in upper levels of education.
While in Mwanza City, the Prime Minister inspected the construction of classrooms at Buhongwa Secondary School in Mwanza city council.
The school encounters several infrastructural challenges such as lack of classrooms.
“A successful Tanzanian child must go to secondary school. The council’s role is to ensure that it builds enough classrooms. By February 28, 2021, the construction of classrooms must be completed and enable form one students to commence classes,” he said.
The PM also called on teachers to continue working hard, saying the government recognizes and appreciates their good work that led to an increase in the number of students joining form one each year.
However, the Premier used the opportunity to urge students, especially female students, to ensure that they achieve their academic dreams and not allowing themselves to be deceived.
“A girl child must be protected so that she can fulfil her dreams, and the government has enacted stricter laws for dropouts,” he noted.
Earlier, Mwanza City Council Director, Mr Kiomoni Kibamba said the city has already built 67 classrooms and is planning to complete the construction of 53 more classrooms to bring the number to the required 120 classrooms, and by January 11, 2021, the successful children will start school.
Commenting on standard seven pass rates in the city, the Director said for 2020, Mwanza City Council emerged third nationally, while Butimba B Training School has become the first for government schools, where the pass rate was 98.1 per cent.
He said for schools under construction, they have provided 6,000 bricks per school as well as 200 bags of cement to facilitate the construction of classrooms.
The bricks are being manufactured at a council factory. The order by the Prime Minister has come only a day after the government announced on Thursday that a total of 759,706 pupils had been selected to join form one in January next year.
Thousands of pupils who passed their Standard Seven national examinations this year will not be joining secondary education in January because of inadequate classrooms.
Elaborating, Minister of State, President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Governments Selemani Jafo said all pupils who are eligible but have not been successful in the first selection will be considered after classrooms are constructed by the end of February next year. In his address, he directed
regional and district commissioners
whose areas face classrooms’
shortage to work with
education stakeholders and
complete their construction by
the end of February next year.
He also directed pupils who
have been selected to report for
classes without restrictions, saying:
“I urge parents and guardians
to collaborate with the
Regional and District Administrative
Secretaries to ensure all
students are enrolled for studies
by next month and on time.”
This is the first selection
being released through the students’
selection management
information system, where the
minister noted that the system
has helped to lower costs, save
time and increase efficiency in
the whole selection process.
The names released yesterday
reflect 91.1 per cent
of eligible pupils who passed
their primary exams this year,
with Mr Jafo further saying that
about 74,166 of them will be in
school by the end of February
next year.
