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Opposition raps govt over failure to solve DIT crisis
2005-07-07 09:45:40
By Pastory Nguvu, Dodoma
The Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT) crisis resurfaced in Parliament yesterday with some legislators accusing the government of failure to address the problem.
Benedicto Mutungirehi (TLP-Kyerwa) said the DIT management had failed to implement the law that gives the institute the authority to set and administer its own examinations.
Mutungirehi, who was presenting opposition parties’ views on the 2005/2006 budget estimates for the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, said the conflict between the DIT management and students stemmed from the administration’s failure to implemented the law that governs the institute.
He said the National Council for Technical Education (NACTE) still administers examinations based on outdated curricula that would render students unemployable after graduating.
He said as a result, students in the civil engineering department were forced to sit for Soil Mechanics and Foundation examinations.
The exams were supposed to be done by students who are pursuing diploma course in education. The DIT students were supposed to sit for Soil Mechanics examination.
’By ignoring the law NACTE considers itself as autonomous body.
Moreover, both the DIT management and the ministry were negligent in ensuring that the institute gets accreditation.
This would give authority to DIT to set and administer its own examinations,’ he said.
The chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Social Services, Omar Kwaangw’ (CCM-Babati East) advised the government to solve the DIT crisis for once and for all.
He called upon the government to avoid establishing institutions without preparing comprehensive law that govern how they are run.
Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education, Dr Pius Ng’wandu, told the legislators that in the 2005/2006 financial year, DIT would start using new a curriculum that will take into account resourcefulness and award National Technical Certificates.
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