Mwinyi assures teachers of better welfare, improved learning
ZANZIBAR: ZANZIBAR President Dr Hussein Mwinyi has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to enhancing teachers’ welfare to boost motivation and create a better teaching environment.
He said the government is determined to strengthen the education sector so that the recent improvements in student pass rates at various levels are sustained in the long term.
Dr Mwinyi made the remarks yesterday when officially reopening the Nkrumah Teachers’ College at its new campus in Mfenesini, Urban West Region.
The President said reviving Nkrumah Teachers’ College aims to produce highly skilled, patriotic and ethically grounded educators.
The original college, located at Beit al Ras in Magharibi A District, was merged with the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA) in 2007. Under the Eighth Phase Government, it has now been re-established to meet the urgent demand for quality teachers.
Alongside the inauguration, Dr Mwinyi launched new buses for boarding students and a new diploma level curriculum for teachers’ training colleges across Zanzibar.
He said the reopening marks a new chapter centred on competence, innovation and adapting to global changes in science and technology.
“This inauguration fulfills our pledge to bring back Nkrumah Teachers’ College, which for many years was the cradle of high-quality educators in our country,” he said, adding that its alumni were known for both teaching expertise and instilling discipline, respect, and patriotism.
The President stressed that government investments in the education sector can only yield results with strong plans to prepare capable teachers.
He revealed that while the college will temporarily operate from Mfenesini, land has been set aside at Dole for a permanent modern campus in collaboration with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
Other measures include equipping schools with modern teaching tools, integrating ICT, expanding in-service teacher training and recruiting qualified staff. Between 2021 and 2025, 5,205 new teachers were employed, easing workloads in schools. Housing projects for teachers are also underway, including in island communities.
“We have all seen the results of teachers’ hard work in rising national exam pass rates. Just as a worthy finger is adorned with a ring, we will continue improving teachers’ benefits to boost morale,” he pledged.
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Education Minister Lela Muhamed Mussa commended the restoration of the college as a bold and visionary step to strengthen education infrastructure from early childhood to higher education.
Permanent Secretary Khamis Abdalla Said noted that the new campus comprises five main buildings— classrooms, teachers’ houses, dormitories, laboratories, a computer room, counselling office, library, examination hall, 30 toilets, and a cafeteria—built at a cost of 10.9bn/-. It can host 810 students, with 45 per class, offering diploma programmes in Primary Education, Early Childhood Education, and Inclusive Education with a strong focus on digital learning.
