Govt praised for supporting EduQuality programme
KIBAHA: THE government has been commended for its commitment to collaborating with various stakeholders in improving teaching and learning systems in both private and government schools, aiming to ensure access to quality education in the country.
Head of Education Specialist (Africa) at Opportunity International, Ms Violet Oketch, made the statement at the Offboarding Seminar for graduates of phase two of the EduQuality Programme in the Dar es Salaam Region over the weekend.
The EduQuality Programme, implemented by Opportunity International in private pre- and primary schools, provides affordable education in the regions of Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Morogoro.
The programme is carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG) and the Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups.
A total of 74 schools from the Dar es Salaam District Councils of Kigamboni, Ilala, Temeke, Kinondoni and Ubungo have benefited from the four-year programme, which began in 2018.
Participants included headteachers, teacher mentors, school owners and school managers from Temeke, Ilala, Kinondoni and Ubungo councils in Dar es Salaam.
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“We have been able to implement this programme thanks to the support and close relationship we have with the government. Graduates of this programme have gained significant knowledge, which they are now using to improve their teaching and learning skills. All of this has been possible due to the strong collaboration between us and the government,” she said.
Ms Oketch further noted that, as a result of hard work and commitment, 94 of the participating schools have reported an increase in pass rates and student enrolment.
These achievements highlight the programme’s success.
The guest of honor at the event, Dar es Salaam Regional Education Officer (REO) Mr Gift Kyando, represented by the Regional Education Officer (Academics) Ms Eva Mosha, said that one of the programme’s goals was to build the capacity of schools by involving communities and parents in finding ways to improve education standards.
“When we talk about early education, we are talking about our communities. Young children need proper teaching to be valuable contributors to their communities and the nation throughout their lives.
That is why the government is focusing on ensuring quality education in both public and private schools. This programme is one of its efforts to achieve that goal and we are already seeing positive results,” she noted.
One of the programme graduates, Mr Ferrinand Emily, Head Teacher at Mother of Mercy School in Madale, Dar es Salaam, said that his school had not only excelled academically but had also increased its student population from 200 in 2019 to 900 this year, after applying the knowledge gained from the programme.
The EduQuality Programme is also implemented in seven other African countries– Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nigeria, Rwanda and Zambia.
