DODOMA: The Minister for Education, Science, and Technology, Professor Adolf Mkenda, has instructed administrators to ensure that all songs played at schools are vetted.
He issued this directive at the Parliamentary session in Dodoma on Monday, stating that all songs promoting alcohol, sex, and smoking are banned from school premises, as well as school buses.
“We have the responsibility to manage morality in schools, control the type of music allowed in schools, and prohibit music that violates Tanzanian values. It should be known that not everything allowed in public spaces is permitted in schools,” Minister Mkenda insisted.
These directives were issued in response to a question from Special Seat MP Husna Sekiboko, who sought to understand the kinds of songs that can be played in educational institutions and the actions taken against those who violate the guidelines.
The MP raised the issue in Parliament after a video surfaced showing teachers and pupils dancing to one of the local singer’s songs.
It later became known that the two teachers involved in the incident had their positions stripped for allegedly failing to control the pupils. In response, Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Tulia Ackson, advised the Minister to allow the teachers to explain what exactly transpired, as available details suggest that the punished teachers were not at school when the incident happened.
