Saturday, April 15, 2006

KATIKA MAZINGIRA KAMA HAYA TANZANIA TUNAITAJI SHULE BORA AU ELIMU BORA

Joy, excitement and hope turned into sadness, despair and frustration when parents of students selected to join Form One under Prime Minister Edward Lowassa’s directive discovered that the school never existed in the first place, The Guardian can reveal. An on-the-spot check by The Guardian on Thursday, established that the parents of about 160 would-be Form One students went to report to Wazo Hill Secondary School on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam, as indicated in their joining instructions letters. Regrettably, they discovered that the construction of four classrooms to accommodate the students was only at the foundation level, a reality that sent shocking waves to both parents and students. Parents who popped into The Guardian newsroom on Thursday morning, were very bitter. They wanted to know whether the inclusion of Wazo Hill Secondary school on the list of schools ready to admit students, was only meant to impress the Prime Minister and make a mockery of them. ’We thank the government for opening more education chances to allow second selection of students. But municipal authorities should tell the truth about the situation of schools to avoid disturbances,’ said one of the angry female parents. The parents displayed letters of instructions, indicating that their children should report to Wazo Hill Secondary School in Kinondoni District on April 1, 2006 ready for lessons. When approached for comment, Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Yusuf Makamba maintained that Wazo Hill Secondary School was supposed to be in place because allocation of students was preceded by verification by officials from the office of the Zonal Education Board. Clarifying on the implementation of the Prime Minister’s directive that by April 1, all qualified primary school leavers in the country should be in class, Makamba said the implementation of the directive was professionally carried out. Certainly, the RC told the truth that education inspectors issue recommendations to the selection board, with regard to schools ready to admit students. Examining the visitors book at the construction site of Wazo Hill Secondary School in Kunduchi Ward, The Guardian discovered that three school inspectors made their ’assessment’ of the school. However, no recommendations about the school were shown in the visitors’ book. Speaking from the construction site, Kunduchi Ward Counsillor, Patrick Makoyola ’regretted’ for the inconvenience caused to parents, saying many had taken trouble to come to the area, only to find masons busy laying the school’s foundation. However, Makoyola, in collaboration with the contractor’s firm foreman, Vitalis Mwita, sounded optimistic on the completion of the classrooms. ’I would like to assure the parents that in less than three months, the classrooms will be ready to accommodate all 160 students,’ Makoyola said. He said remedial measures have been taken to help students start lessons at Kunduchi Primary School, where four classrooms have been secured. ’We have placed people at the road junction to direct parents that their children should report to Kunduchi Primary School for the time being, as efforts are made to have the secondary school facilities in place,’ said Makoyola. Until Thursday, a total of 50 students had reported to Kunduchi Primary School. Perhaps the remaining 110 , are not aware of the temporary arrangement. Makoyola said over 38.7m/- has been set aside for the school’s project. He also said there were plans to raise over 200m/- under self-help initiative, for the construction of a laboratory, staffroom, staff quarters, toilets and other facilities.
SOURCE: Guardian

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home