Tabora schools urged to help students speak out

TABORA: EDUCATION stakeholders in Tabora have been urged to create school environments that enable students to speak openly about challenges affecting their education, including violence, gender discrimination, early pregnancy and child marriage.

Tabora Assistant Administrative Secretary for Education and Vocational Training, Ms Upendo Rweyemamu, made the call recently while opening a two-day training programme for regional facilitators of the TUSEME Programme at Tabora Boys Secondary School.

Ms Rweyemamu, who represented the Tabora Regional Administrative Secretary, said students should be empowered to speak confidently, report challenges affecting them and participate in finding solutions in order to strengthen safe and inclusive learning environments.

She said every education stakeholder had a responsibility to ensure that students were given opportunities to express themselves, be listened to, develop self-confidence, participate in leadership and take part in decisions affecting their development.

According to Ms Rweyemamu, the government, in collaboration with UNICEF, introduced the TUSEME Programme to help students discuss challenges they face at school and at home, build confidence and leadership skills, particularly among girls and address barriers that may hinder their education.

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She said the programme also aims to promote life skills, gender equality and cooperation among students, teachers, parents and communities.

Speaking before inviting the guest of honour, Tabora Regional Academic Officer Mr Aroon Vedasto said Adult Education Officers and Community Development Officers were key links in supervising the programme from council level to the community.

He said the training was expected to strengthen their knowledge and capacity to oversee implementation of the programme and support students in breaking the silence surrounding obstacles that affect their learning.

For her part, FAWE Tanzania facilitator Ms Neema Katundu commended the emphasis placed on empowering children to recognise and speak about the challenges they face.

She said helping children develop confidence and a voice was an important step towards creating a better learning environment and improving their educational outcomes.