2025 ACADEMIC YEAR: Govt orders full enrollment

SIMIYU: PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has urged parents to prioritise education by ensuring that all children of school age are enrolled in school, instead of ordering them to sell snacks at bus stops.

He directed local government leaders across the country to collaborate with village and street officials to encourage school enrolment.

“A Tanzanian child must go to school because we have established a system that begins with pre-primary education, followed by primary and secondary schools. We need to see all children in Busega going to school,” he emphasised.

The Premier was addressing residents of Busega District in Simiyu Region at Lion of Judah Secondary School grounds on Sunday.

“I urge parents to monitor their children’s school attendance to ensure they are truly attending and learning. When they return home, check their notebooks to see what they have learned,” said the Premier.

He asked parents and guardians to support girls and ensure they get equal education opportunities for their betterment and the nation at large.

“Ensure that girls are supported to complete their education without any harassment,” he added.

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Mr Majaliwa said President Samia Suluhu Hassan has given priority to the education sector by making substantial investments that aim at improving education standards and producing competent future generation.

He said the Head of State has made a substantial investment in education by providing funding for the construction of schools, classrooms and dormitories.

“She has also provided funds for free education to ensure every Tanzanian child has the opportunity to attend school,” said the Premier.

On clean cooking energy, Mr Majaliwa said it is now time for institutions with more than 100 people to start using clean energy. He reminded stakeholders that the deadline for phasing out the use of dirty energy is December 31, this year.

“Citizens should start transitioning from the use of firewood and charcoal by adopting cleaner technologies. We must move to using gas, electricity or charcoal produced from waste,” he said.

He added:  “A significant amount of funds have been allocated to the education sector to build infrastructure for primary and secondary schools, as well as Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA) colleges and to carry out major refurbishments of universities.”

In the health sector, Mr Majaliwa said that considerable funds have been used to build health centres, district hospitals and hospital facilities that meet district hospital standards, along with the construction of regional hospitals.

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Regarding electricity, he said: “All villages in the region have received electricity and now the task remains for citizens to connect. We are now reaching the hamlets    and bringing electricity to islands, whether through solar power or underwater cables.”

Earlier, Busega Member of Parliament, Simon Songe applauded the government for enabling the provision of various social services in the district in a short period.

“The people of Busega have great faith in the sixth-phase government. The development has been substantial, including the construction of modern railway lines. We believe the railway will be completed soon, allowing Busega residents to reach Dar es Salaam in less than six hours,” he said.

Mr Songe also thanked the government for providing 19.9bn/-, from December 2020 to October 2024. He said the fund has been used to implement various projects including construction of classrooms, toilets and desks.

“The VETA project, costing 1.484bn/-, has already begun and I believe it will be completed by 2026, providing a valuable resource for our youths,” he said.

Simiyu Regional Commissioner, Mr Kenan Kihongosi said that the region has received 858.5bn/-, which has been used to improve sectors such as education, health, water and electricity.

He commended the government for providing four ambulances, a water project from Lake Victoria worth 440bn/- and the construction of an electricity substation costing 97bn/-.