Lack of facilities drive teachers from villages

Most teachers are reluctant to teach in remote areas due to lack of facilities, housing in particular, the Head Master of Idris Abdul Wakil Primary School in Kinondoni District, Mr Juvenary Muta, said yesterday. Mr Muta told journalists that as a result, hundreds of children were deprived of their right to education. Muta told journalists there that though problem had eased, it was still pertinent. “Though there are some improvements, the problem is still there. Our school at the moment is at least better off but we still need 12 teachers’ houses. In the past, teachers posted here used to report and spend a day or two…then they vanished,” he said. Mr Muta said the school had one house for teachers and two others were still under construction, but the work had stopped for a while due to lack of funds. A member of the school committee, Mr Rashid Musa said at present most of the teachers had to rent houses which were, however, very expensive. Meanwhile, the Tanzania Tourist Board Managing Director, Mr Peter Mwenguo, donated exercise books, crayons, pens and pencils and handed over a cheque of 1.8m/- donated by two American women. Mr Mwenguo who is the school’s patron, said he was very much encouraged by the progress made by the school. He said in 2003 when he became patron, it had three teachers and none of its pupils who sat for Standard Seven exams was selected to join secondary school for the past 10 years. But last year alone, 39 students out of 54 passed their exams.