Africa-Press – Tanzania. GIRL students who become pregnant will only be allowed to continue with studies after taking and passing special examination.
Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Joyce Ndalichako told the British Minister for Africa, James Duddridge when he visited some of the country’s funded projects that the government has set procedures to enable pregnant girls to continue with studies.
“If a student becomes pregnant, she will be given an alternative formal education, and if she passes the exams, she will continue with the formal system of education,” said Ndalichako, saying for example if she was in form two, she will study informally and take exams.
If she passes, she will go back to school to continue to form three as well as other classes.
She said the government has successfully managed to meet the criteria that enabled it to get the fund from the UK for major renovation of schools in various parts of the country.
According to Prof Ndalichako, the government has allocated funds for the construction of a school in each region. She said each school will be able to accommodate 1,000 students.
“Our focus is on building boarding schools for our girl students. The fund for the project is part of the loan from World Bank of 500m US dollars,” she noted.
Prof Ndalichako also said that Minister Duddridge has invited her to a meeting of the education sector to be held in the United Kingdom in July this year.
On his side, Mr Duddridge said he was pleased with the progress of education in Tanzania, especially in providing free education, and how the government is concerned with girl’s student.
Mr Duddridge said the UK will continue to work with the government in promoting and advancing development of the girl children so that they could study in a positive environment as he had seen the government’s efforts in caring for girls’ education.
“I have also seen that education for the girl child is highly regarded in this country, so we will continue to work with the minister and the government in promoting and developing the girl child so that she can study in a conducive environment,” said Duddridge.
