When our young people are educated, they will support us in the future. Education opens the mind, and where there are many educated people, change is inevitable
Arusha. Parents and guardians across the country are being urged to ensure that school-aged children report to school and begin classes as scheduled, as schools are reopening today for a new term.
Ms Regina Qwaray, the deputy minister in the President’s Office (Public Service Management), made this call during a visit to the construction site of the new Laja Secondary School in Karatu District, Arusha Region, on Sunday.
“Parents and guardians should understand that by educating children, you are making an investment. When our young people are educated, they will support us in the future. Education opens the mind, and where there are many educated people, change is inevitable,” she said.
“I call upon parents and guardians with children of school-going age to ensure they report to school. Those who have passed Standard Seven should not be left idle in the streets. We must ensure that after completing primary education, they proceed to Form One,” she added.
Speaking about the school, which is being built through the Tanzania Social Action Fund (Tasaf) under the OPEC project, Ms Qwaray said the government continues to prioritise education projects to ease the burden of students having to walk long distances to school.
“Through this project, students are now studying closer to home. There are hostels, and I commend the community for their commitment and for recognising the value of education,” she said. She urged residents to take good care of the project, warning that poor maintenance would result in high future costs.
“We can already see the benefits of such a project, including protecting girls from early marriages and other harmful practices,” she said. Karatu District Executive Director, Mr Juma Hokororo, thanked Tasaf for implementing various development projects, particularly in the education sector.
which he said had significantly improved learning infrastructure in the district.
He said the council had put in place strategies to ensure that all children of school-going age are enrolled and report to school.
“As schools prepare to reopen, the council has already set measures to ensure that all children of school-going age are enrolled and attend school,” he said.
He added that parents should not use school uniforms as an excuse to keep children out of school, noting that the government has made it clear that there should be no barriers to accessing education.
Meanwhile, the Acting Tasaf Coordinator for Karatu District, Mr Athanasi Sarwatt, said the school project had cost more than Sh774.9 million, of which Tasaf contributed Sh659.5 million, while over Sh115 million was raised through community contributions.
He said the contributions included sand, gravel, water, stones and labour.
