Newspapers in Education project activated at Tusiime
Pupils taking a keen interest in the news of the day. PHOTO | LOVENESS BERNARD
What you need to know:
- NIE, a dynamic platform to stimulate young minds, aims at reaching 10 schools in every region (25 regions), for a total of 250 schools and over 1.5 million learners benefiting from the program.
Dar es Salaam. Mwananchi Communications Limited (MCL), through its newspaper The Citizen, conducted the first activation for its Newspapers in Education (NIE) programme yesterday, May 16, 2023, at Tusiime Primary School in Tabata, Dar es Salaam.
The NIE activation campaign for primary school pupils aims to unlock limitless learning opportunities and empower the next generation.
Tusiime Primary School pupils pose with The Citizen newspaper in hand. PHOTO | LOVENESS BERNARD
The project provides students with the opportunity to become more literate and knowledgeable citizens through the dissemination of academic information in the newspaper.
NIE, a dynamic platform to stimulate young minds, aims at reaching 10 schools in every region (25 regions), for a total of 250 schools and over 1.5 million learners benefiting from the program.
"The Newspapers in Education will help you develop your reading skills and encourage you to read even on holidays. It will help you with your career aspirations and general understanding of things. In NIE, we have a pullout called Smart World, which you are going to engage with every week on Tuesday," explained Vivian Temi, MCL's Marketing and Corporate Affairs Manager.
One of the students who won a prize during quiz time at the activation. To her right is Segerea Ward Councilor Robert Manang’wa, and to her left is MCL’s Marketing and Corporate Affairs Manager, Vivian Temi. PHOTO | LOVENESS BERNARD
Echoing the importance of the initiative, Managing Editor of The Citizen, Mpoki Thomson, highlighted that NIE is an extension of what The Citizen has been doing over the years, providing its readers with curated content. "There is so much power in knowledge, and knowledge comes from reading. So, as future leaders, you need to have a desire to read more," he said.
Tusiime Primary School pupils pose for a photo with The Citizen’s Managing Editor, Mpoki Thomson. PHOTO | LOVENESS BERNARD
Founder and Director of Tusiime Schools and general secretary of the Tanzania Association of Private Investors in Education, Dr Albert Katagira, said that this investment, he believes, will create a good environment for students to get education through newspapers.
Katagira said that this initiative should involve close collaboration with teachers, suggesting that it helps to attract students more broadly because teachers know a lot about students.
Tusiime Primary School's Head of the English Department, Padere Tadeo, said that NIE will help improve his students' English-speaking ability through learning new vocabularies.
Segerea Ward councilor Robert Manang’wa, who was the guest of honour, hands out newspapers to pupils. PHOTO | LOVENESS BERNARD
He also pointed out the lack of teaching resources, saying, "So when you come up with such a program, I expect teachers to access reader-friendly materials where students can read and gain vocabulary." His wish is to see NIE reach village schools as well. A Standard Six pupil at the school, Esther Marco, explained that NIE helps her easily learn new things.
"We use dictionaries at school, but when your parent does not have the money to go and buy you a dictionary, you can learn new words from a newspaper. So, this makes it easier for us as students," she said.
Luqman Mbwana, another Standard Six, said the program will help him know better about his country and be able to get various information about sports and different skills.
This first NIE activation will be followed by others at various schools under the programme.
