Tarime — NORTH Mara Gold Mine has constructed enough secondary school classrooms in the villages surrounding the mine to ensure that pupils who pass their primary school examinations continue with their education without any hurdles.

Tarime District Commissioner (DC), Mr John Henjewele told a Full Council meeting here recently that there are sufficient community secondary schools to absorb all students who will pass their exams this year in the villages near the mine.

The DC cited on-going construction of new community secondary schools at Nyamwaga and Nyakunguru villages as well as expansion of Ingwe secondary school as significant steps for the development of the education sector in the area. The multimillion projects are funded by African Barrick Gold (ABG which also operates the North Mara Gold Mine.

"I commend ABG and the villages for realizing the importance of giving education sector top priority and the new schools will make it possible to absorb all students who will pass the exams this year," he said. A total of 7,622 pupils sat for the Standard VII National Examinations in the entire district of Tarime last month, according to the DC.

"We expect at least 71 per cent of these pupils to pass the exams and our task is to have sufficient secondary schools," he told the packed meeting which was attended by councillors and head of departments from the district council. The DC also directed leaders to supervise development projects in their respective wards to speed up social and economic development in the district.