AfricaPress-Tanzania: CONTROLLER and Auditor General (CAG), has pointed out several weaknesses in the system of ensuring access to quality Vocational Education and Training in the country.
According to the Performance Audit Report on Access to Vocational Education and Training by the CAG of 2018/19 handed over to President John Magufuli in March this year, the report also outlined areas for further improvement.
The audit report also mentioned areas that have been identified in the system for ensuring that there will be more equitable access to quality Vocational Education and Training in the country.
In order to enhance equitable access to quality Vocational Education and Training in the country, the audit team, argue a case for promotion of the three areas of Economy, Efficiency and Effectiveness in the use of public resources in conducting Vocational Education Trainings activities.
In its recommendations to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the team asked the ministry to ensure that Vocational Education Information and Education Management Systems are integrated in order to have quality and reliable VET Data for the purpose of decision making.
They recommended that the ministry should also enhance stable, reliable and timely funding system to vocational centers in order to ascertain that VET activities are not paralyzed due to delayed disbursement and under-funding in general.
On top of that, the audit report recommends that the ministry should establish Quasi- independent Quality Assurance Function for Vocational Education and Training.
It also called for the ministry to facilitate formal partnerships between VETA, VET providers, Trade Unions and employers to enhance the relevancy of VET graduates in the labour market and economical needs.
The National Audit Office wanted the ministry for education to strengthen the monitoring and evaluation mechanism for Vocational Education and Training to ensure policies, objectives and plans for access to quality vocational education and training are effectively met and implemented.
It went further to state that Vocational Education and Training teachers are in a database which includes all necessary identification details that can be used when planning for teachers’ capacity and competence building programs.
As for the Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA), the audit report recommends it should ensure that spatial distribution of its centers efficiently considers the demands and economic environment of the society and geographical zones
The performance audit report wanted VETA to develop and implement a plan for inclusion of disadvantaged groups to the Vocational Education and Training.
It also recommends that it should effectively develop and implement mechanisms which ensure skills of vocational teachers are up-to-date and relevant to the labour market demands and economy needs.
VETA, it further recommends, must also develop a mechanism for forecasting the demand and supply of Vocational Education learners for different priority occupations and sectors in the country.
