GREAT SUCCESS IN DESKS DRIVE

Since he assumed power in November 2015, President John Magufuli has continued to emphasize on one of his election pledges that he would improve the education sector.

One of the measures taken to achieve that is ensuring that children are provided with desks. He made this pledge on November 20 last year when officiating the 11th Parliament.

In his speech, he directed regional administrative secretaries to ensure that all schoolchildren in their areas of jurisdiction had desks to sit on by June 30, this year. He even challenged them by reminding them that, the assignment was a test to see whether they were fit for their positions.

President Magufuli’s determination was to address the shortage of about 1.4 million desks as announced by the former Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda in May 2015.

Donation campaigns

That being the case, the Head of State encouraged desk donation campaigns countrywide. As the result, public and private institutions contributed to the noble course.

In April, the Parliament returned to the government Sh6 billion which was obtained after the Assembly had reduced its expenditures for the period of four months.

The money was handed over to President Magufuli at the State House on April 11. Shortly after receiving it, he directed that all of it be spent on making desks for pupils and students in public schools.

The task was commissioned to the National services and Prisons departments which were directed to spend an average of Sh50,000 per desk.

On July 12, just three months after the money was issued, the government received a total of 60,000 desks from the two institutions, with a pledge that the remaining batch would be delivered in a short period.

Some districts miss target

However, despite contributions from various stakeholders, none of regions were able to meet the target of ensuring adequate desks for children in all public schools by June 30, as directed by the Head of State.

In September 16, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa told the Parliament that by then about 951,610 desks for primary schools had already been made, making the total of number of those already made available to schools 3,084,781.

“We have so far managed to get a total of 1,490,488 desks (about 99.4 per cent) for secondary schools,” he said, in his speech to postpone the Parliament.

Deadline extended

According to Mr Majaliwa, by September schools were short of 191,244 desks - 182,864 for primary and 8,380 for secondary schools. Moreover, in November 20, the Minister of State in the President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government, Mr George Simbachawene, extended the deadline to provide schoolchildren with desks to January 2017.

The Minister went on to name regions that couldn’t reach their targets, as Geita (80,000 desks), Mwanza (41,000), Kigoma (31,000), Mara (17,000), Dodoma (14,000) and Simiyu (10,000).

“Regions commissioners of these regions should ensure the problem is being addressed on time otherwise, they should inform President Magufuli that they are incompetent,” said Mr Simbachawene on November 19.

His statement received backing from Mr Majaliwa during his official tour to Arusha on December 17.

He gave regional and district leaders two weeks to address the shortage of desks in schools within their areas of jurisdictions or else they would lose their jobs. “If by next January your area is found to still have school desk shortages, count yourself out. We want to see none of the students sitting on the floor when they resume studies next year,” he stressed.

Recent figures released by President Magufuli on November 4 during his audience with editors show that the shortage of desks had been addressed by 99 per cent.