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Kikwete unveils plans to train more teachers
2006-09-02 09:45:27
By Ludger Kasumuni
University students taking education courses will get full government scholarships. The directive covers students in both private and public universities.
Making the announcement in his monthly address to the nation yesterday , President Jakaya Kikwete said the directive becomes effective in the current academic year, which started this month.
The President,also directed regional authorities to ensure that day secondary schools in the country provide boarding facilities to female students.
President Kikwete who addressed the nation from Dodoma said the government had decided to provide scholarships to all university students taking education to curb the current acute shortage of teachers.
”The government will finance education degree students. We shall not discriminate against those in private universities,” Kikwete said.
The President,told Tanzanians to apply for teaching as soon as job opportunities are announced by the government.
”Apply in big numbers once the government announces vacancies for teachers,” he said.
The President said the country faces a major challenge following the expansion of primary school enrolment that has translated into a dramatic rise in demand for secondary schools.
”The biggest challenge facing us today is the expansion of secondary education. By 2008, the demand for secondary education will increase tremendously,’’ he said.
Kikwete also called upon stakeholders in the education sector to build dormitories for female students in day secondary schools.
He also spoke at length about the government’s implementation of the envisaged Green Revolution as stipulated in the 2005 CCM election manifesto.
He said 2.49tn/- would be set aside for the implementation of Agriculture Revolution to cover the next seven years.
He said out of the funds, the government had raised 1.8tn/- from its own sources.
He said 75 per cent of the funding for agriculture would go to rural areas.
The programme, the President said, envisages increased use of fertilisers for raise productivity, raise income of rural households and reduce high incidence poverty in the rural areas.
He cited the basic indicators for low productivity as the amount of fertilisers used is very low, which he said Tanzania was at the bottom of all African countries.
Kikwete said Iringa, Ruvuma, Mbeya and Rukwa regions register high agricultural yields because of high usage of fertilisers compared with other regions in the country.
The President said the programme also aims at improving the quality of seeds, improvement of extension services, upgrading rural communications and transport infrastructure and reduction of post-harvest losses.
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