Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE government has directed all District Executive Directors to balance the distribution of teachers so that rural areas are not deprived, as many tend to move to urban areas.
The directive was issued yesterday by the Deputy Minister of State in the President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government), Zainab Katimba while responding to questions from Members of Parliament who inquired about the government’s strategy to address the shortage of teachers in primary schools nationwide.
In his basic question, Tabora Urban MP Adamson Mwakasaka (CCM), asked about the government’s plan to address the significant shortage of teachers in primary schools nationwide.
He said that many teachers are reluctant to work in rural areas and tend to crowd in urban primary schools, questioning the government’s strategy to ensure teachers remain in rural areas instead of rushing to cities.
Similarly, Moshi Rural MP Prof Patrick Ndakidemi (CCM) said that many primary schools in his constituency face a severe shortage of teachers, with some schools having only three teachers. He inquired about the government plans to help secure more teachers to resolve the matter .
Additionally, Tarime Rural MP Mwita Waitara (CCM) asked how the government would ensure that teachers who graduated a long time ago get jobs, following the recruitment process recently announced.
In response, Deputy Minister Katimba acknowledged the issue of teachers preferring urban areas, instructing the directors to ensure that, based on budget considerations, they balance the distribution of teachers to create a proper ratio and reduce overcrowding in some areas while addressing shortages in others.
She added that the government is taking various steps to improve working conditions for teachers by ensuring all essential services are available in rural areas, so teachers can work without needing to relocate to cities.
Furthermore, she assured MPs that they would receive allocations of teachers in areas experiencing shortages, as the government has already announced new teacher recruitment.
Previously, she pointed out that the government has been recruiting primary school teachers annually based on available funds, saying from 2020/2021 to 2022/2023, it recruited 16,598 primary school teachers.
She added that on July 20, 2024, the government announced 11,015 teaching positions, including 3,370 for primary schools and once the recruitment process is complete, teachers will be assigned to their respective posts.
In response to the recruitment process and consideration for long-time graduates, she mentioned that the government follows its criteria and has taken into account MP Waitara’s suggestions.
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