Dodoma — THE government recognises and values the contributions of private schools to the development of the country's education sector, the Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Adolf Mkenda has said.
Prof Mkenda made the statement in Dodoma recently at a meeting with education stakeholders and private school owners.
"The government recognises and appreciates your contribution in the development of the education sector and we need your efforts to achieve the country's educational goals," said Prof Mkenda.
"In the past years we have been witnessing many children sent to study abroad and parents were forced to spend a lot of money in paying for school fees in dollars. But, after the emergence of numerous private schools the number of children sent abroad has decreased," he added.
Apart from expressing appreciation, Prof Mkenda asked the owners of private schools to foster and monitor moral education in their schools so as to nurture children with good morals in order to build a healthy nation.
"Morals is a cross cutting issue, it is not just the issue of one ministry or one sector, I ask you to cooperate in upbringing our kids by teaching and guiding them well in good morals," said Prof Mkenda.
He also implored school owners to check the content of all teaching materials, including textbooks and storybooks so as to avoid materials that could impart bad morals and behaviors into the children.
On their part, the owners of private schools asked the government to include religion and moral subjects in the curriculum so as to help students to learn and practice good behaviour.
Speaking at the meeting, Twalib Twalib, who represented private schools owned by the Tanzania Muslim Council (BAKWATA), said the moral decay is caused by lack of fear of God among the members of the society.
"The moral decays we are seeing today are the result of lack of fear of God, adults do and children see and imitate," said Mr Twalib.
On the other hand, the school owners asked the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to solve some of the challenges facing private schools.
They also asked the government to find an alternative way of dealing with examination cheating rather than suspending examination centres, something which also affects innocent students.
"When the government suspends an examination centre it affects students and parents who pay school fees and put teachers' jobs at stake. The government should deal with individuals and not an institution," said Laurent Gama, the Chairperson of the Private School Owners Association.
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"We are asking the government to find the best way of dealing with this issue... the government must check out and investigate how and who is responsible for the exam leakage at the National Examination Council Office (NECTA), this includes NECTA's officers, school owners, managers, teachers, police force, and invigilators and punish whoever concerned but not punishing the institution," he added.
Prof Mkenda assured that his ministry would work on the concerns, vowing legal measures against all the culprits.
"We will investigate and identify those who are involved (in examination cheating) and we will take legal action against the culprits," explained Prof Mkenda.
