GIRLS ON GOVERNMENT AGENDA TO SCALE UP HIGHER LEARNING
THE government has reiterated its commitment to protect the girl child,
expressing its desire to see them attain the highest educational
qualifications.
This
was echoed by the Prime Minister, Mr Kassim Majaliwa, in his remarks on
separate occasions while addressing residents in various villages in
Ruangwa District.
On a four-day end-of-the-year leave that
he has decided to turn into a working one to encourage development
projects in the district which is also his constituency in Parliament,
the prime minister said girls should be allowed to pursue education up
to Form Six and beyond.
“We have insisted several times that
girls should be left to study up to Form Six; when they go to
university, they will be in a better position to make their own
decisions. Anyone found to have impregnated a girl child faces up to 30
years in prison,” he warned.
The PM said the government was looking
forward to have professionals in areas such as medicine, law, politics
and technical work who are women.
Mr Majaliwa, on the other hand, warned
parents who are fond of receiving bribe from men found to have
impregnated their daughters to “put the matter under the carpet,” saying
that they risk being imprisoned according to the law. “As a parent, if
you find out that your daughter has been impregnated, inform authorities
immediately for further action.
If you allow them to bribe you to keep
silent, the law will take its course against you as well as it will be
against the perpetrator of the crime,” he warned.
During the tour, Mr Majaliwa was
informed that there are some schools with only male teachers after which
he directed the District Education Officer to address the situation by
transferring them from urban areas to rural areas to create gender
balance.
“There are schools in Ruangwa Township
with many male and female teachers and yet I am told there is a school
with only male teachers.
There must be female teachers since
there are some issues that female pupils cannot discuss comfortably with
male teachers,” the PM observed.
Earlier, Lindi Regional Commissioner
(RC), Mr Godfrey Zambi, said the region faced a serious problem in form
of drop-outs in both primary and secondary schools, as many students
enrolled for Standard One and Form One drop out before completing their
studies.