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Lower fees, President tells private schools
2006-01-31 09:15:06
By Pascal Shao
The government wants owners of private schools to revise their fees downward to enable many students to access education.
President Jakaya Kikwete made the call during the inauguration of Feza Boys’ Secondary School in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
President Kikwete said private schools should not be preserve of the rich and privileged few.
The President said that potential male students had been denied access to quality education because of the prohibitive fees private schools levy.
Kikwete said that from his experience, countries that made substantial investments in both the expansion and quality of education were the most successful in poverty alleviation.
’Indeed, among poor Tanzanians, poverty does not necessarily reflect the lack of character or commitment to work hard.
I personally believe most people are poor because of lack of education, which is a prerequisite in transforming their lifestyles,’ he said.
In this globalisation era, he said, trade alone does not connect nations but international ties like the ones already established between Tanzania and Turkey, clearly go beyond mere economic linkages.
’We are increasingly learning that education systems are also affected by the interactive trend towards globalisation and one example is the shift from pure state monopoly in the delivery of education, to private involvement in management, financing and investment, ’ he said.
He said that private sector participation in education is not an entirely new phenomenon in the country as it existed before independence. He said that before independence schools were run by religious organisations.
The President promised that the government would explore ways and means of supporting the private sector in the provision of education.
’We will create a facilitative environment for increased private sector involvement and investment in the education sector,’ he said.
The President said that the role of Tanzania Education Authority (TEA), which has been doing a tremendous job in accessing financing for local investors in education, will be enhanced and expanded to that of providing comprehensive information on investment opportunities in the sector.
On his part, a Turkish Member of Parliament, Ismail Katmerci, said societies that are educated are the ones that are establishing relationships amongst themselves.
He told the students that they were lucky because they are able to interact with other schools globally, which are owned and managed by the Ishik Medical and Educational Foundation.
’Schools bring about improvement in the economies as they attract many investors,’ he said.
The ceremony was attended by Minister for Finance Zakia Meghji, Minister of Defence and National Service, Juma Kapuya, State Minister, Union Affairs, Dr Hussein Mwinyi and Deputy Minister for Education and Vocational Training, Ludovick Mwananzila.
Others were regional, district and local government officials, a Turkish delegation that included administrators, staff, parents, guardians and students.
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