PM: Tanzania has scarcity of 1.4 million desks for primary schools

Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda said yesterday that Primary Schools the country were facing a shortage of about 1.4 desks, directing the education ministry to do whatever it can to address the problem that affects academic performance of students.

He gave the directive yesetray when addressing hundreds of residents of Dodoma at the inauguration of Tanzania Education Week at Jamhuri stadium here.

“Statistics I have show that Tanzania needs about 3.3 million desks for her primary schools while the available desks are 1.8 million. We have a deficit of 1.4 million,” said the PM.

The PM said if the government would decide to make 100,000 desks at Sh12 billion, it would take it 15 years to end the problem.

“I visited the maajarTrust pavilion and there I was told they have already made 12,000 desks and distributed in six regions. It cost they Sh120,00 to make one desk depending on availability of wood and carpentry,” he said.

The PM said deliberate steps must be taken to end the problem for the nation cannot afford seeing students studying while seated on the floor.

“Education minister and your men must strive and your priority should be to reduce the problem of shortage of desks in the shortest possible time. It would be great if you come out with a solution to this problem in a week time before the president officially closes the exhibitions.

The PM directed education ministry officials to sit with Maajar Trust and work out ways of ending the problem.

Meanwhile, Vice Chancellor of Dodoma University, Professor Idris Kikula, said there was a need for Tanzania to change perception when it comes to contributing for education services