Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE government has released 5.57bn/- between 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 financial years for the construction of fences at 185 schools for children with special needs.
The schools among others include Namakonde Primary School located in the Ruangwa District Council.
Deputy Minister in the President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), Zainabu Katimba, informed the National Assembly yesterday while responding to a basic question by Special Seats MP Maimuna Pathan (CCM).
The MP inquired about the timeline for the government to construct fences around schools situated in high-risk areas, highlighting that many schools in the Lindi Region currently lack adequate fencing.
Responding, the deputy minister said a total of 105.57m/- was used to build fences at Lindi Girls Secondary School and Nachingwea Girls Secondary School.
She added that the central government and local government authorities will continue to allocate funds for the construction of fences to ensure the safety of students and school property. In her supplementary question, the MP said that the funds allocated for the construction of the fences is peanut.
She said that Lindi Region is a high-risk area due to presence of dangerous wild animals such as elephants, which roam the areas at night.
The lawmaker urged the government to expedite the disbursement of the funds, especially for schools located in Lindi Region, as it is very dangerous for the children when they leave classrooms at night or when they go outside to access basic services such as using the toilet.
Responding, Katimba said the government will prioritize the construction of fences in schools located in high-risk areas not only in Lindi Region but across the entire country, particularly in areas close to wildlife habitats.
She noted that in Lindi Region, construction of fences has already begun, adding that the government is continuing with the work to ensure many more schools are fenced to safeguard students and school property.
Ms Katimba said that in implementing the initiative, the government is using the local government authorities’ own-source revenues.
The deputy minister remined council directors to conduct assessments in schools that are located in risky environments to evaluate the construction needs and estimate the costs required for building fences in the respective schools.
Ms Katimba said the costs should be included in the plans and budgets funded by the councils’ own-source revenues, in order to begin the construction of fences in the schools.
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