Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE government has reiterated its commitment to working with various stakeholders to eliminate illiteracy in primary schools by strengthening teaching and learning systems, particularly in reading, writing and arithmetic ( 3Rs).
Temeke Municipal Council’s Chief School Quality Assurer, Ms Lilian Kazenga was speaking during the World Reading Day festival held recently at Kilamba Primary School in Temeke, Dar es Salaam.
The event was organised by Room to Read. The festival brought together officials from the Ministry of Regional Administration and Local Government (RALG), the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Temeke Municipal officials, teachers and students from different schools, parents and other education stakeholders.
“It is the government’s intention to ensure that all children in our primary schools are able to read, write and count with ease during their early years in school. This will enable them to better understand their subjects, perform well in examinations and succeed in life,” Ms Kazenga said.
She commended Room to Read for complementing the government’s efforts to foster a reading culture among students and communities, noting that the initiative is yielding positive results in reducing illiteracy and contributing to both individual and national development.
Room to Read’s Country Director, Ms Joan-Ndaambuyo Minja highlighted that the organisation has been implementing foundational literacy programmes in Tanzania’s primary schools for over a decade.
“We have been working closely with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE), Baraza la Kiswahili la Taifa, councils and schools in many regions to implement reading projects and support the government’s literacy agenda,” she said.
Ms Minja further revealed that, in collaboration with Tanzanian publishers, the organisation has printed and distributed 1,474,764 children’s books that reflect local contexts and values. All books were reviewed by TIE before publication and distribution.
Moreover, Room to Read has partnered with the government to establish and enhance 392 libraries across the country and launched one digital library, known as the “Literacy Cloud.”
World Reading Day is celebrated annually, with this year’s theme being ‘Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era.’
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