Government’s free education policy has caused a new crisis in Mbeya Region as enrolment of pupils increased dramatically overwhelming primary schools here.
Mbeya. Government’s free education policy has caused a new crisis in Mbeya Region as enrolment of pupils increased dramatically overwhelming primary schools here.
Survey by The Citizen showed that enrolment for Standar One pupils in some schools almost doubled compared with last year.
Teachers say there has been a huge awareness among parents on sending their children to school, especially now as most contributions have been scrapped.
Mbeya’s Gombe-Uyole Primary School assistant head teacher, Ms Bertha Kunambi, said until yesterday morning she had registered 261 pupils, the number, which was twice that of last year.
“Actually, now we are facing a very big challenge because this number may increase threefold. We are still receiving more pupils. We are faced with challenges here including shortage of classrooms as there are only nine, we have a few latrines and there are very few desks. As for teachers, we’re short-staffed, so, the increase is an added burden,” said Ms Kunambi.
An unidentified Mwasote Primary School teacher in the city said by yesterday they had registered over 300 pupils, expressing that they were also facing acute shortage of classrooms and desks and it was possible for them to start an open space classroom.
For his part, the head-teacher of a primary school in Rungwe District, Mr Mashaka Mwakalinga, said the number of children wishing to start Standart One was bigger than that of last year.
Another teacher from Ikulu Primary School in the city here, Ms Roda Mwasanu, said many children turned up to start school and that committee chairman Hassan Mwaigomole, in collaboration with the ward leadership, was the one enrolling new pupils.
When asked over new enrolments, Mbeya regional Administrative secretary Mariam Mtunguja responded that her office would receive the data on enrolment come tomorrow (Friday).
