By Judith Mhina- MAELEZO
The discrimination of girls in Mwasala primary school at Nzega
District Council is unacceptable,” this statement was made by the Mwasala Ward
Education Officer, Mr Eliab Lusato.
“Parents are part of the
problem because they instruct and insist that their daughters should not do
well on the national standard seven exams”.
Mr Lusato was speaking at a two day workshop run by EQUIP Tanzania,
at Urambo District Council hall on 1st and 2nd November
2016. The aim of the workshop was to empower District Education Officer to
collect and disseminate best practices information based
on Programme of Education Quality Improvement in Tanzania within region and for
Ward Education Officers to review programme interventions in the region and
seek advice on further actions.
Reporting on on his Ward Mwasala in Nzega District, Mr Lusato said that most of the parents from livestock
and crops producing households instruct
their daughters not to attend national standard seven exams or if
they go for the exam, they should aim at failing intentionally not
answering questions. They do this in order to prevent their daughters from
progressing to secondary school.
The Ward Education Officer, Mr Lusato went
on saying that as soon as the school realised the situation they came up with
strategic steps to overcome the situation.
Firstly the school involved the Parents
Teachers Participation – PTP, who interviewed all girls that performed well in
class, but failed their national standard seven exams. The girls explained,
“Our parents told us not to do well in national standard seven exams, so that
we can go back home and get married or work on our parents farms, or take care
of our young sisters and brothers.”
After this, the school management decided to have a meeting
with schools committee, pupils parents,
village chair person, PTP, Ward
Education Officer , Executive Ward Officer and informed them on the importance
of education to their children and particularly girls.
Mr Lusato said due to that action the number of pupils who pass
national Standard Seven Exam increased from 9 pupils in 2015 to 25 in 2016. In
2015, 9 out of 103 pupils, 8.7 per cent
passed. In 2016, 25 out of 52 pupils, 17 girls and 8 boys which is 48
per cent passed.
We thank the PTP for the good work of educating their fellow parents
to understand the great need of educating girls
Moreover, the school and PTP, decide to implement a small law for
parents to pay a penalty of 1000 Tanzania shillings everyday their child did not attend school. If the absence
exceeded more than three days the parents are required to appear to the Village
office to answer the question of ‘Why their child is not attending school for
three days. “If this does bring about a change to the attendance the parents
are taken to see Executive Ward
Education Officer and thereafter to the District Magistrate. Here the Tanzanian
law will judge the parent to go in prison or pay fane or both according to
decision of the court.
Education stakeholders have contributed to strengthening attendance
of girls without obstacles. The head teacher Mr Msanja Silvester Masunga has
said, “Pupil attendance has increased and the
number of pupils who pass has increased. This is encouraging us to do
more to improve the attendance as it leads to better performance.” The Ward
Councillor, Honourable Madeje Nhale
said: “ I will give a present for any teacher
who enables pupils to pass with good grades in their subject.”
A special teaching programme is needed for the parents sensitization
to ensure their understand the importance of education
especially for girls and boys . The parents in this area are livestock keepers
and peasants do not give priority to education. What is needed is to introduce
strong by-laws and implement them to all parents who continue on taking girls
for marriage. It will also be good if hostels for girls were introduced in such
primary schools.
An extra effort suggestion is for stakeholders to introduce special
school clubs for pupils. Similarly, the department of community development can
sensitize parents on the importance of education for girls. There is also a
need to motivate and encourage girls to see the value of attending school.
Furthermore, procedures should be in place to remove obstacles for
girls to attend school and eventually lead to legal procedures.
A special room for girls at school is needed for counselling girls
who are approaching puberty stage.
PTP should follow up parents when there is a concern to make sure
all pupils are attending exams. It may be better for girls to be kept on
special camps for studying and preparing for exams. Other ideas include: The
use of a suggestion box at school and to recognise families that educated their girls up to
University level as a role model to the society.
0 comments:
Post a Comment