Trouble awaits substandard schools

Education and Vocational Training minister Margaret Sitta

The Government is planning a snap crackdown that could see some primary and secondary schools close down for failing to meet the minimum standards, it was announced yesterday.

The announcement, made by Education and Vocational Training minister Margaret Sitta at a press conference in Dar es Salaam, comes as parents and guardians are lining themselves up to register their children for Standard One and Form One for the 2008 academic year.

Sitta`s remarks were based on plans by the Government to deal with the growing problem of unregistered schools recruiting students and conducting classes, which is illegal.

The minister said there would be no mercy for those found guilty of operating without permission from the relevant State authorities.

Without giving any dates, Sitta said her ministry would collaborate with other state organs in inspecting schools throughout the country.

She warned those yet to obtain registration but which have been recruiting children for the next academic year to stop doing so immediately.

Turning to parents or guardians registering their children in private schools only upon learning about the institutions from the media, the minister said that was highly risky `because some of the schools advertising themselves may be substandard and operating illegally`.

She said registering children in unauthorised schools would land both parents or guardians and their children into needless trouble, including paying huge amounts of money in fees and other costs on services the Government does not recognise.

`All those who really care for their children should find places for them in school or other institutions that enjoy Government recognition to avoid trouble in the future,` advised Sitta.

However, she fell short of saying what penalties defaulting schools faced and why it has taken all this long for the Government to come up with the warning.

Meanwhile, the minister directed owners of private schools throughout the country to paste copies of their registration certificates on their notice boards and display the original copies in their offices for easy reference by parents, guardians and other interested parties.

She also directed them to include their schools` registration numbers in all their advertisements in the media `to enable any person interested in knowing the status of the schools to do so without unnecessary inconvenience`.

The minister also reminded parents and guardians on the need to register their children at schools located near their residences to avoid transport problems, particularly in cities like Dar es Salaam.

`Some parents and guardians are fond registering their children at schools located very far from their residences. We earnestly ask them not to do so again. They should consider the distance to and from school before deciding where to register the children,` she pointed out.

`It is a huge but avoidable risk for a child of seven years to travel long distances because it is very difficult for students to get into commuter buses, particularly in cities like Dar es Salaam,` noted the minister.

Last year the Government announced that it had discovered at least 100 unregistered schools in a short-lived crackdown in Dar es Salaam Region alone.