TANZANIA has insisted that it will continue to pursue processes and patterns that support inclusive development for all people.
Vice-President Dr Philip Mpango reaffirmed Tanzania’s commitment yesterday, when addressing the agenda of ‘Investment for All People Without Discrimination’ at the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) ongoing in Doha, Qatar.
The VP said the Tanzanian government will also continue to provide funding that prioritises investments that modernise infrastructure and help up skill and reskill of the people.
Dr Mpango underlined Tanzania’s efforts to invest in people by improving the education sector through the provision of free education from primary to secondary schools.
He said that the Tanzanian government has made improvements in the provision of loans to higher education students; improved school infrastructures and the construction of special women’s schools for science studies in every region of Tanzania.
He added that the East African nation is currently reviewing education curricula and will come up with a new document that will help to guide education provision from lower to top level.
In providing quality education, the government is focusing on use of information and communication technologies (ICT), by providing digital equipment to teachers, so that they can achieve goals in the global world, the VP said.
He further noted that in ensuring that education is inclusive without discrimination, the government has reversed its position and is allowing adolescent mothers to return to their studies.
Dr Mpango also said that the Tanzanian government has continued to set a conducive learning environment including construction of classrooms across the country.
Recently, President Samia Suluhu Hassan restated that not a single student will miss an opportunity to join secondary education due to the lack of classrooms.
She indicated that in a few months, the government managed to construct a total of 8,000 fully furnished classrooms for secondary schools countrywide.
The 8,000 new classrooms come as the government in 2021, completed construction of 15,000 classrooms for Primary and Secondary Schools across the country.
“The classrooms are ready to be used when schools open for the academic year 2023…this historic achievement will bring relief to at least 400,000 students,” she said on her Twitter handle.
In less than two years of President Dr Samia’s reign, the government has surpassed the target of constructing classrooms for secondary schools by 198 per cent.
In the Third National Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP-III), 2021/22 to 2025/26, the government plans to construct another 4,040 classrooms for secondary schools across the country.
However, last year alone, the government constructed 8,000 new classrooms that are now being used since schools reopened for the academic year 2023 last January.
Furthermore, the government has planned to construct about 184 new secondary schools across the country before June this year.
On the other hand, the Vice-President called on the international community to continue supporting developing countries due to the presence of challenges in investing in people, including the lack of sufficient funds to improve and increase technical colleges.
He also said the lack of learning materials especially for students with special needs, as well as the scarcity of learning infrastructure due to population growth, are among the challenges of investing in people in developing countries.
Dr Mpango is in Qatar to represent President Samia for five days of the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5).