Dr Kawambwa irked by non-performing schools

Dr Shukuru Kawambwa

Due to the increased shortage of science teachers in secondary schools in the country, the government has issued loans to 5,000 science students to pursue a Diploma in teaching science subjects.

The Minister for Education and Vocational Training Dr Shukuru Kawambwa said over the week in Bagamoyo district when he was inspecting construction of a laboratory for Kingani Secondary School in the district which does not have physics teachers for three years now.

Minister Kawambwa noted that there has been a great need for such teachers in the country, and because of the prevailing situation, the government has decided to seek for loans to fund 5,000 students to fill the gaps, and that already 2,000 of them have already reported at the University of Dodoma.

However, Dr Kawambwa was not satisfied with the school’s development academically due to the drastic fall in students’ performance rate in their final examinations for the last three years.

“I am directing the Chairman of the Board and the education officer to do  all he can to make sure that, the school increases its academic performance rate and that, being a ward secondary school, it should not be reason for not performing well”, Minister Kawambwa said.

In his tour of the district, Minister Kawambwa who is also Member of Parliament for Bagamoyo constituency, inspected a laboratory of Vigwaza Secondary School and later took time to talk to residents of Visezi village in Vigwaza ward.

The villagers noted his failure to fulfill some of the things he had promised them during the campaigns of 2010 which included clean water supply and good roads in the village.

In addition, villagers also claimed that there was shortage of teachers in Visenzi primary school which has only 5 teachers.

Responding to these queries, Minister Kawambwa  promised to work closely with village management to solve the problems before the next general elections.

However, he blamed village leaders for their failure to inform him instead of waiting for him to go and visit them.

Meanwhile the Visenzi Primary school in Bagamoyo district does not have teachers, forcing villagers to recruit secondary school leavers to teacher at the school.

The villagers expressed their concern on Friday this week when Kawambwa paid a visit to the village.

The village chairman Hamisi Kitala said at a public meeting that for a period of less than 10 years now there has been a big shortage of teachers at the school, a challenge which has never been solved.

The chairman was surprised to see that other neighbouring villages like Vigwaza which is nearest has 30 teachers while Ruvu Darajani has 27 teachers. He wanted to know the criteria the ministry uses in the distribution of teachers in primary schools in the country.

However, Dr Kawambwa promised them to work on these problems even before the October elections. He said that he would be working very closely with village leaders to ensure that all was settled quickly.