AfricaPress-Tanzania: ST Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT) has introduced history and geography department. SAUT Vice-Chancellor, Prof Costa Mahalu, said this yesterday at the 22nd graduation ceremony.
He said the programme would help teach African history and enable young Tanzanians to know the history and geography of their country.
“We are implementing what President John Magufuli has directed. He has for a long time been saying that economic independence starts with knowing the history of a certain area of which many young Tanzanians do not know,” said Prof Mahalu.
In December last year, President Magufuli directed the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to make history a compulsory subject at all levels of education.
President Magufuli said there was a need to make history compulsory to enable children understand the history of their country.
The Head of State said understanding the country’s history would also inculcate in Tanzanian children a culture of patriotism.
He said patriotism was an aspect that should be implanted in children right from their school life through the teaching of history.
President Magufuli expressed his desire for reforms in the education sector, insisting that making the teaching of history obligatory was one of the issues that should be considered.
For his part, Geita Catholic Diocese Bishop Fravian Masala, who also doubles as SAUT Council Head, commended the government for providing free education from primary to secondary school level, which had increased student enrolment in higher learning institutions.
He said in addition to an increase in the number of higher education students, the government had also facilitated timely issuance of loans to eligible students to ensure smooth operations of higher education institutions.
“We also commend the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology for effectively supervising its institutions especially Higher Education Student’s Loans Board and Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU). Their timely service delivery has enabled us to deliver better services to students,” he said.
He also urged graduates to utilise the knowledge they gained from SAUT.
