WHY ARE WE MAKING OUR CHILDREN SUFFER?

Adeladius Makwega – MBAGALA

“Sir, those who live inside the university in the hostels pay 300,000 shillings per year. But from what I see, I would rather stay outside because the cost of food inside is extremely high. Where I live outside, I share one room with another person; I pay 105,000 shillings for three months. The challenge is the electricity bill. But out here, for example, if I do not have money to buy vegetables, I can cook my ugali on a gas stove and buy some amaranth leaves for 500 shillings. I will eat my ugali peacefully, the day will pass safely, and I will not die of hunger. But if I live inside the university, will I be able to eat at the cafeteria every day? Father, I simply cannot afford that.”

These are the words of a university student in Tanzania speaking about the challenges students face while pursuing higher education.

Mwanakwetu, imagining this situation in his mind, reflected and said to himself:

“There are public servants in Tanzania who cannot afford to eat in restaurants because the cost of living is so high; they eat only one meal a day. What about a university student who depends on a higher-education loan or comes from a poor family?”

The student also raised the issue of the percentage of loans given to students:

“The tuition fee is 1.5 million shillings, but you are given 700,000 or 800,000. Where are you supposed to get the rest?”

Mwanakwetu said goodbye to the students and then sat down to reflect deeply on this situation.

Mwanakwetu makes the following recommendations:

All public universities have their employees’ salaries paid by the Central Government, while private universities pay salaries from tuition collections and other education operating costs.

Mwanakwetu recommends that public universities should provide education but should not collect tuition fees from Tanzanian students selected by TCU to join them. This should be prohibited.

The Higher Education Students’ Loans Board should then provide loans to all eligible students, covering 100 percent of essential services, including food, accommodation, books, housing and practical training.

“It is impossible for money to come from the government and then be returned to the government.”

From a brief observation, public universities are audited by the Controller and Auditor General (CAG). A student’s name, the tuition fee paid and any outstanding balance are reviewed. If there is a debt, the internal auditor raises the matter, and the CAG follows up on the issue of public money that has not been collected. This is understandable.

However, many students fail to complete their tuition payments. You may say that a student’s father has a decent house or earns a good salary, but nobody rents those houses; those salaries are already committed to loans, and there is very little left. Others are children of farmers, whose financial situation is even worse.

And yet, you deny a student a loan simply because he or she attended a private school. This is not right.

“It should be clearly understood that being educated through government support is an opportunity for every Tanzanian. It protects the dignity of the government in relation to its young people. But when this is done through discrimination, it is not right. Everyone pays taxes, so why should we discriminate?”

How are we supposed to continue under such circumstances? Who is this powerful person with such enormous influence whom we are afraid of? The money is ours; the country is ours. Why should we make our own children suffer?

Mwanakwetu, I am deeply saddened to see our scholars, including Professor Adolf Mkenda and the Permanent Secretary for Education, Professor Carolyne Nondo, failing to provide proper advice on this matter.

For example, Professor Nondo is a scholar, but when she speaks to the public, she gives lengthy explanations that seem endless. There is no summary. Why so many explanations? You will not earn respect simply because of the many explanations you give to the public. You will earn respect as a leader by solving the challenges facing Tanzanian children within the mandate entrusted to you.

“As leaders, help these children of ours. You, too, were helped by other people; there is substantial evidence of this, and that is why you are now called scholars. Now we want to see that scholarship demonstrated in solving these challenges.”

Would we be wrong if we said that these professor-leaders are wasting our time and failing to demonstrate competence in the positions they have been given? We want competence in the workplace and timely solutions to problems.

Mwanakwetu, I advise the Higher Education Students’ Loans Board to provide tuition support to students in private universities. However, public universities have been built through Tanzanians’ taxes or, in some cases, through loans that Tanzanians are repaying.

It is not right for a student who is unable to complete a tuition payment of 800,000 shillings to be prevented from sitting examinations and forced to abandon his or her studies. This is not right.

I insist on the following:

“Professor Mkenda, change your approach and work for the benefit of the majority of Tanzanians. Professor Nondo, please, my sister, enough with the lengthy explanations; help Tanzanian girls pursue their education.

If the CAG has been advised on this matter and has refused to act, then let us know that he is the problem so that we can deal with it. But Dr. Charles Kicheere understands the matter.

Otherwise, Professor Mkenda and Professor Nondo should not remain in those positions; you should be removed immediately.”

For today, this is enough.