The proposed Constitution may become our new Constitution from May next year if things go well during the referendum. The proposed Constitution luckily has, among other things, guaranteed a right to primary education to every Tanzanian child [Article 53 (1)(c)]. The constitution making process has come at a time when every sensible adult person knows about the poor quality of education offered in this country, especially in public schools.
The quality of education is a concern for everyone. For many years now our quality of education has been declining from nursery to university level. Both primary and secondary education is an international disgrace.
Good enough, the proposed Constitution has adopted all rights proposed by the Warioba Commission and added many more others. Figuratively speaking, we can say the proposed Constitution has incorporated almost all basic rights, including right to education. Currently, public education, both at primary and secondary schools has been expanded and for primary schools, enrolment is almost 100 per cent now.
For this reason, we have already reached goal No 2 of the Millennium Development Goals. However, our education is still offered in a poor environment and with inadequacy of almost everything, including teachers, books, desks, classrooms and laboratories. Thus, education in Tanzania is quantitatively, but not qualitatively offered.
Article 52(1) of proposed Constitution, which provides this right does not only guarantee a Tanzanian citizen a right to education, but also quality education. The Article states: “Kila mtu ana haki ya kupata elimu bora ya msingi inayomtayarisha kikamilifu kuendelea na elimu ya ngazi inayofuatia au kuweka msingi wa kuanza kujitegemea.
In English translation: “Every person has a right to get quality primary education that perfectly prepares him or her to continue with the next level of education or that which will build the foundation for him or her for self-reliance. Generally speaking, this provision is very good, but I doubt if there will be any politician, who will make it a reality for every Tanzanian citizen. While for many years our national education standards had been among the lowest in the world, our political leaders and senior government officials have not been paying the right attention to it because their children and grand children do not go to public schools.
We all know how our education system is. We highly have unequal and dualistic education system. One system is for the rich and the other one for the majority poor. During Mwalimu Julius Nyerere’s era and before neo-liberalisation, we used to have one education system for all Tanzanians regardless of their social status.
Nyerere’s children went to the same public schools with children from poor families. Nyerere, being president, could afford sending his children to get better education abroad. Or he could educate his children in the country, but at international schools like International School of Tanganyika.
Do we have today or will Tanzania get another president, whose children will attend public schools? Will one day ministers, deputy ministers, permanent secretaries or any public official send his or her children to these public schools? I don’t think so! If this won’t happen now or in the future what will be the fate of this nation?
Our political leaders are like a cook, who cooks food, but cannot eat or even taste it because he or she is cooking something, which is not fit for human consumption, although it will be eaten by other people. Thus, our leaders are less concerned with public schools because they are not using them. Currently, our political leaders at regional and district level are busy trying to meet a deadline set by President Jakaya Kikwete to complete building school laboratories.
But they are doing these as a mere political agenda. They are just like a cattle keeper, who prepares feeds for his cattle, but he cannot taste it because it is only for cattle not for human beings. Ward secondary schools, some of them were built 20 or 10 years ago, but have been in existence without laboratories for all that time.
No wonder, these politically oriented laboratories will remain ‘white elephant’ for another decade or so without being facilitated with equipment, technicians and reagents without which they won’t function. This country has enough money for embezzlement and corruption, but not for social development.
By Mwassa Jingi
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