The government has set aside 137bn/- to fund the promised free education from primary school through to form four.
According to Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, the money will serve to cover the first half of the year, January to June 2016. The Premier made the announcement over the weekend when addressing Ruangwa residents at the Likangala grounds in Lindi Region.
“The government promised to offer free education, we are determined to implement the pledge,” Majaliwa said noting that the government had already calculated and established the amount needed for food in both boarding and day schools.
” We are comfortable that we can afford the cost,” said the Premier.
“We have the money and the government has started disbursing it, we want all children to go to school in January when the schools reopen,” he said.
The PM went on to announce that the government will also pay examination fees for the students, an expense that usually costs students 10000/- for secondary school students. “This is an emergency plan, it was not in the budget for 2015/2016 thus we will be required to request for the permit to proceed,” he said.
“Anyone who will abuse this money will be dealt with accordingly …we have already issued directives to council directors and education officers and warned them on the use of the funds,” added the PM.
With him was the Minister of Information, Culture, Artistes and Sports. Nape Nnauye called upon councilors of Ruangwa constituency to support the Prime Minister.
“Councilors of this constituency are to support the Prime Minister by supervising development activities...you should help him administer public funds so that they can be implemented in the targeted projects,” he urged.
Mid this month the government released a free education circular that abolished payment of any fees or other contributions to public schools.
Signed by Commissioner of Education, Professor Eustella Bhalalusesa, the Government Circular Number 5 of 2015 is part of implementation of the Education and Training Policy 2014 and realisation of President John Magufuli’s campaign pledge.
“Provision of free education means pupils or students will not pay any fee or other contributions which parents used to pay before the release of new circular,” reads the circular in part.
Before release of the circular, secondary school students studying in day schools were paying TZS 20,000 fees while those in boarding schools were paying TZS 40,000. There were also numerous other contributions that were being paid by parents and guardians depending on the school boards.
However, the circular excludes eleven public primary schools owned by public institutions that operate as private schools these are Olympio Primary School (Dar es Salaam), Diamond Primary School (Dar es Salaam), Oysterbay Primary (Dar es Salaam), Iringa Primary School (Iringa) and Mkapa Primary School (Mbeya).
Others are Angaza Primary School (Mbeya), Nuru Primary School (Mbeya), Lupilisi Primary School (Ruvuma) and Tanga Primary School (Tanga).
According to the circular, those schools will continue with their current fee arrangements until another circular is released.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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