Disputes arise over food contributions to schools
Arumeru East Member MP Joshua Nassari
What you need to know:
He said disputes had emerged in some areas over the matter.
Arusha. Arumeru East Member MP Joshua Nassari has said the government should announce whether parents’ food contributions to schoolchildren should also stop or not.
He said disputes had emerged in some areas over the matter.
The Chadema legislator told The Citizen on Wednesday, February 7, some parents in his constituency who contributed foodstuffs in January for their children were demanding them back.
"This issue is confusing teachers, school committees and parents. Some parents believe the government has disbursed enough funds to meet all school requirements.”
According to him, it is important for the government to state which contributions are restricted, which were accepted and good procedures for collections should be set.
Mr Nassari believes the government has not banned food contributions to schools provided that parents agree to do so in their meetings.
He cites government paper number 3 of 2016 on free education that directs parents to provide food and uniforms to students studying in day secondary schools.
Imbaseni councillor Gabriel Mwanda also spoke about confusion on the matter and that parents had started demanding their contributions to be returned.
"We told them about the importance of contributions. Some of them have understood, but others haven’t,” he said.
He said the money disbursed by the government was insufficient to meet all school requirements.
He cautioned unless the situation was tackled it would affect education.
"The provision of food in schools is important to children. We have been advising parents to voluntarily contribute and that no child should be sent back home for parents’ failure to contribute,” he said.
School committees in Arumeru District agreed that parents should contribute 40 kilos of maize and 15 kilos of beans.
However, excessive contributions forced President John Magufuli to restrict teachers from receiving the contributions.
He said parents and guardians who wanted to contribute should take them to district executive directors.
