THE Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has stressed the need for sending more students to the universities in order to increase the gross enrollment ratio of Tanzanians in higher education which currently stand at 6.1 percent.
The remarks were made on Friday by the Director of Higher Education in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Dr Kenneth Hosea during the launch of University of Dar es salaam (UDSM) Industrial Advisory Committee.
Dr Hosea said that as the Sub-Saharan African average is 9.4 per cent Tanzania still needs to send more students to universities to increase gross enrollment because its ratio is still low compared to Kenya, which stands at 11 percent.
Dr Hosea said universities must produce higher level skilled graduates, middle and lower-level graduates since Tanzania has an industrialised economy.
The committee will go through to review policy and UDSM curricula to respond to the directives issued by President Samia Suluhu Hassan to review the country curricular from primary to university levels.
The committee involved the private sector because they are the major recipients of university graduates.
"We really need a review of our higher education system to involve the private sector more because they are the consumers of our graduates," said Dr Hosea
He also said that in order for the country to have an industrial economy, the country must have high-level skills at least 12 percent but currently Tanzania has 3.5 percent.
Giving an example, he said research for the academic year 2021/22 in African countries like Ghana reached 20 percent of high-level skill.
He said the country must fill the gap in order to attain a middle income industrialised economy.
Dr Hosea further said that the country needs to work very closely with the private sector, that's why they are participating so that the curricula that will come out will be useful and also enable graduates to be employed.
On his part the UDSM Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), Professor Bonaventure Lutinwa said the launch of a committee which involved the private sector, will be able to find a way of making curriculum suit demand in the labour market and later on to transform the economy.
He said the review had focused on the important areas of content, skills and attitude so that can be easily employed.
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"The private sector will participate in preparing the curriculum for review, they will review it and they will also participate in teaching," said Prof. Lutinwa
Professor Bernadeta Killian, who is the UDSM Higher Education for Economic Transformation (HEET) coordinator said that universities were doing their work within the walls.
She said things have changed in the country and universities are going all over the world.
"Universities need to change to be able to link with the industry and to harmonize the teaching, research and their innovation with the labor market demands," said Prof. Killian
She said the government came with the HEET programme to support transformation which enables them to be closer to the private sector and enables graduates to enter the competitive market including self-employment and employment.
