The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
Al-Amani Mutarubukwa
5 November 2009
Private colleges and universities in the country should stick to international standards so as to produce competitive graduates, a senior government official has said.
The permanent secretary of the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, Prof Hamis Dienga, made the remarks yesterday at a three-day education and publishers exhibition being held at the Mwalimu Nyerere grounds in Dar es Salaam.
He said even as such private institutions were mushrooming in the country following the 1998 policy changes that allowed private players in the sector, quality had to be observed.
In a speech read on his behalf by the director general of the Tanzania Library Services, Dr Alli Mcharazo, the permanent secretary said: "The policies put it clear that standards have to be met at all educational levels."
According to Prof Dienga, if such benchmarks are met, it would be easy to attract more foreign students to acquire education in the country and hence earn the nation foreign exchange.
Prof Dienga also advised education stakeholders to work closely, adding that the move would decrease education costs and ultimately offer the best education to students.
For his part, the Board of External Trade (BET) director general, Mr Edwin Rutageruka, said because of lacking information, many parents and students experienced difficulties in knowing which schools or colleges they should join.
"This has caused some schools be overwhelmed and congested while others hardly admit the number of students that they are capable of,"he said.
Mr Tugaruka said it was after seeing this need that BET started the education and publishers exhibition to make activities of publishers, colleges, universities and other education institutes known to students.
However, the acting director of research and planning of the Board of External Trade (BET), Mr Juma Mfaume, said since the annual exhibitions started in 1997, they have been facing challenges as many targeted groups shun them despite being informed about the exhibitions.
"We have only 15 main exhibitors, although we sent invitations to several players. It is surprising to see them missing this vital opportunity," Mr Mfaume said.
The shows are among five for different sectors, including food, arts and crafts, that are organized by BET every year along the Mwalimu Nyerere Trade Fair grounds on Kilwa Road in Dar es Salaam.
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