Education stakeholders want infrastructure shortage in primary schools addressed
EDUCATION
stakeholders have called on the government to take immediate action to
address the shortage of infrastructures in primary schools as a way of
improving the quality of free-education across the country.
The actors have it that while the government was very ambitious in
offering ‘subsidised’ education from primary to lower secondary level,
it was a concern that most schools face acute shortage of learning
facilities.
Simon Kulian, a lecturer with Bagamoyo based Adem Institute said
most schools recorded a high turnout of pupils who registered for
primary education, unfortunately there are no sufficient classrooms to
accommodate them.
Speaking at a consultative meeting with headteachers from eight
primary schools in Kinondoni and Temeke municipalilites, the education
expert said the government initiative was a milestone for the sectors’
development.
“We’re here for a consultative workshop. The meeting is designed to
impact leadership skills to headteachers to effectively participate in
classroom activities and thus improve the sector’s performance,” he
said. The workshop was organised by Organisation for Community
Development (OCODE).
He explained that while the government had made it clear, as
stakeholders “we’re also playing our part to ensure that the sector is
made better for the new generation.”
Florida Nfura, headteacher of Buza Primary School in Temeke
Municipality told reporters yesterday that her school had registered 730
pupils this year and it’s number is likely to increase.
She said the number was twice higher than the 360 pupils registered
in the last academic year. According to the headteacher, the new
registration shows that the general public wants children access their
fundamental right for education.
“This has pushed us to allocate at least five classrooms of between
130 and 140 pupils,” she said, noting that earlier she made some
arrangements that is why it has been possible to accommodate all the
pupils and neither of them sits on the floor.
Martha Kusenga, Kinondoni Municipal Education Officer told
reporters in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the council has already
started assessment to identify areas with acute shortage of classrooms
for urgent support.
She said registration of pupils will end in March 31, this year and
that in a meantime preliminary findings indicate that this year there
will be more enrollment of pupils.
“Our daunting challenge is the ongoing demolition. Pupils are being
transferred and you may find out that some places have been overwhelmed
while others have less numbers of registered pupils.”
OCODE Programme Doreen Matekele said they are now implementing a
three-year programme in collaboration with an international NGO -- WE
World to help improve the quality of education in primary schools in the
two municipalities.
“We’re training teachers, inspectors and education officers,” she
said naming the benefiting schools as Buza, Bwawani, Kibonde Maji, Mtoni
Kijichi, Kawe A, Bunju A, Mtambani and Tumaini.
SOURCE:
THE GUARDIAN
