Tanzania Govt Sets Aside 202.6bn/- To Boost Education Programmes

The government has set aside a total of 202.6b/- for the fiscal year 2012/2013 meant to improve primary and secondary education systems in Tanzania.

The was said by Kassim Majaliwa, deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government (PMO-RALG) when responding to a question by Halima Mdee MP for Kawe (Chadema).

Mdee wanted to know the government’s short and long term strategies in dealing with challenges facing the education sector such as shortage of desks, books, teachers, equipments related to Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Majaliwa explained that 56bn/- will be used to reach 256 schools although the aim is to reach 1,200 secondary schools, adding that bidding documents have already been sent to the respective councils for the implementation.

“Every year, the government set aside funds for councils to improve infrastructures such as stationed and mobile laboratories, classrooms, as well rehabilitating old school buildings,” he said.

The deputy minister explained that his government has been subsidising all government primary and secondary schools in the form of capital grant, whereby the money is used for the purchase of learning materials including of the ICT.

The government through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has supplied 1,970,530 books for chemistry, biology, physics and mathematics in 1,500 secondary schools in the country.

According to him, the government will also use 75 per cent (54.2bn/-) of the radar refund money, to purchase other textbooks for the country’s primary schools. “By 2015, some 528 schools will be equipped with the best infrastructures such as 2,500 science laboratories, 100 hostels each with the capacity of accommodating 48 students, 1,800 teachers’ houses in 900 rural schools as well as 1,200 administrative blocks,” he said.

“For this financial year and through the councils’ budget, the government has set aside at least 74bn/- and 33bn/- for secondary and primary schools respectively, for purchasing desks, construction of laboratories, toilets, teachers houses, classrooms and hostels.”

Majaliwa also mentioned that 25 per cent (18.1b/-) as arrears from radar saga would be used to add more desks in primary schools.

“Plans are under way for the implementation of a pilot project of teaching Mathematics, Science, and English studies through computer in 126 schools, although we have begun with 50 schools,” the deputy minister said.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN