AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE Dar es Salaam Regional authorities have acted swiftly to start construction and providing desks at King’ongo Primary School in Ubungo District.
This followed the directive by President John Magufuli earlier on Monday in Kagera Region to regional authorities to ensure classrooms are built and desks promptly supplied at the school to end the dire shortage.
The Head of State gave the directives in Bukoba as he laid a foundation stone for the construction of Vocational Education Training Centre (VETA) and the inauguration event of the reconstructed Ihungo Secondary School.
“Let the leadership of Dar es Salaam hear this, I am saying this while I am in Kagera, but on my return, I want to see the classroom buildings, and I do not want to see students sitting on the ground. I will visit the school…hear me Dar es Salaam regional leaders, message sent and delivered,” President Magufuli sternly ordered and warned.
A few hours after the president gave the order demanding the construction of classrooms at King’ongo Primary School in Ubungo District and ensuring students do not sit on the floor, Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner (RC), Abubakar Kunenge arrived at the school and ordered construction to begin immediately.
On the same day, various materials for the construction of the classrooms had already been delivered at the schools’ grounds; trenching of the foundation of the new classes was in progress, as the RC ordered the construction work to be done day and night under his supervision, giving only ten days for its completion.
RC Kunenge has ordered the construction of eight classrooms as well as the demolition of a dilapidated classroom building that is to be rebuilt, all of which are set to be completed by 28th this month.
Addressing the media on TUuesday, the Ubungo District Executive Director (DED), Ms Beatrice Dominic said that the implementation of the directives started immediately and has now reached five per cent.
“The construction now has reached five per cent as the foundation of six classrooms has been dug and concrete will be laid today,” she asserted.
She added that the rundown classroom has already been demolished and that two classrooms will be built, making a total of eight new classrooms.
“…We have received the President’s directives and started working on it immediately. The constructors have been at the site since the directives were issued, and we have already ordered for new desks also,” she assured.
She revealed that they had a list of schools that had similar challenges, but it was unfortunate that the schools in question were overlooked.
“However, this is not an excuse, that is why we have allocated funds from other projects to fix the challenges at this school,” she said.
Concerning desks, Ms Dominic said that they have found a quick solution where 300 desks have already been ordered and some will start arriving.
She revealed that among the reasons as to why students were sitting down was mainly due to an increase in grade one enrolment this year.
“I apologise for the challenges that were overlooked at King’ongo Primary School,” she pleaded.
