Tanzania: Don’t worry, govt assures owners of private schools

Dar es Salaam — The government has allayed the fear among owners of private schools over its plans to introduce indicative fees, saying the new structure, which will be effective from January, will be fair to both parents and them.

Speaking at a meeting in Dar es Salaam, which brought together private school owners, the Commissioner for Education, Prof Eustella Bhalalusesa, said the government was consulting researchers, among other stakeholders, to ensure the indicative fees structure becomes fair to both parties.

The Tanzania Association of Managers and Owners of Non-Government Schools and Colleges (Tamongsco) Dar es Salaam Zone hosted the meeting meant for discussing the indicative fee structure.

She insisted that the government would consider unit cost for each boarding and day school pupils. «We’re taking our time to conduct research as well as consultation in bid to come up with indicative fees which won’t affect your business, the quality of education or parents; there is no need to worry,» Prof Bhalalusesa said.

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The Commissioner for Education assured the owners of private schools that the government recognised the role their schools played towards the country’s development.

The Tamongsco secretary general, Mr Benjamin Nkonya, urged the government to consider that all expenses for pupils in private school, including food, transport and medical care, were included in the indicative fee structure.

Meanwhile, the government has directed owners of schools to ensure they have only two terms per year as opposed to the current situation whereby some schools have three of them. Prof Bhalalusesa said only international schools would be allowed to have three terms.

She said the government had somteimes failed to implement projects involving children due to the terms differences.

«When some are on holidays, others are at school; we need uniformity,» Prof Bhalalusesa said.