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Envoys visits US-funded Zanzibar education sites
2005-09-22 08:24:22
By Guardian Reporter
The new US ambassador to Tanzania, Michael Retzer, on Tuesday met with Zanzibar’s Minister for Education, Culture and Sports, Haroun Ali Suleiman, in Zanzibar.
After holding talks at the ministry’s headquarter, Retzer and Suleiman toured two education sites that are receiving funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) through its Mkeza programme.
Mkeza is a Kiswahili to acronym for Improving The Quality of Education in Zanzibar.
The two institutes are Al Rahma Madrasa (a community pre-school) and Kiembesamaki Teachers’ Centre and Primary and Secondary Schools. US First Lady Laura Bush toured the two sites when she visited Zanzibar in July.
At both sites, Ambassador Retzer and the minister spoke with students, teachers and school administrators.
Kiembesamaki Teachers’ Centre is a USAID pilot project for the Teacher Advancement Programme (TAP) for the delivery of the Advanced Secondary Teaching Certificate course.
This two-year programme has received over 4bn/- in initial funding from USAID to help improve the quality of learning in Zanzibar by working closely with communities and government from pre-school through secondary school.
It reaches almost every sector of the education system in Zanzibar.
The programme, implemented on behalf of USAID Tanzania by the Aga Khan Foundation, reaches out to and includes vulnerable groups such as those with physical and learning disabilities and girls.
Thomas Bayer of USAID, who accompanied Retzer during the visit to Zanzibar, said that since the launch of the Mkeza programme, a lot had been accomplished in Zanzibar.
This includes upgrading of nine teachers’ centres in Zanzibar, the completion of school construction in 18 communities (ten in Unguja and eight in Pemba) and the purchase of US$750,000 worth of math and science books and laboratory equipment.
Mkeza also sponsored the Education, Culture and Sports minister and its permanent secretary for a two-week study tour to facilitate learning experiences with education institutions in the US on policy issues and strategies that could lead to improved educational quality in Zanzibar.
It also sponsored 160 participants on the islands of Pemba and Unguja to attend a special education needs awareness workshop about these important issues.
Retzer told reporters that he was very pleased to see the strong emphasis that USAID was placing on support for education in Zanzibar.
’’Ensuring access to a good education is essential for any great society and I am pleased to see that the ministry and the local groups USAID is helping here in Zanzibar share our commitment to this goal.
’’I am very proud of what has already been accomplished and I look forward to continuing to build on the momentum that we have established to further strengthen education in Zanzibar,’’ he said.
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