Two days after some education stakeholders
castigated the idea of having free education in the country as being
perpetrated by some politicians in their campaigns, an educationist has said
that the concept is possible if the government would strictly put in place proper
use of taxes and other revenues collected. According to the expert, there are
various ways in which the government could follow in order to accumulate funds
from own local resources that can be enough to subsidize the widened gaps existing
in education sector. Speaking exclusively in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the
Secretary General of Tanzania Teachers’ Union (TTU) Ezekiah Oluoch said in a
telephone interview that the government has enough resources to enable it fully
fund basic education from early primary to form four secondary school up to
diploma levels for teachers training in vocational colleges. Oluoch who
professionally is a teacher noted that, “the only problem lies on the mismanagement
of government funds and that no any leader in the country who has valued
education and take a keen interest to help the nation in this matter, instead
have been touting for the idea without demonstrating their action plan”. Elaborating
on major steps that the government should follow in order to succeed, he quoted
the recent World Bank report which says that developing countries need to
invest not less than 5 percent of their Gross Domestic Products (DGP) in basic
education, but this is contrary to 1.4 percent which Tanzania has invested. He
said if the government would increase the percentage rate of its GDP in
education and reach up to 5 percent, it means that students in public schools
could not be required to contribute anything as is the case now whereby parents
are forced to meet about 95 percent of the operational costs needed to be
incurred by schools. However, he noted that, what could be required for
students to incur is their school uniforms, shoes, beddings for those in
boarding schools and other things for their personal necessities. He said Tanzania is lagging behind from other East
African countries that have increased their GDP rates in education and outlined
their statistics as indicated in brackets as Kenya (7.8 percent), Uganda (4.8
percent), Rwanda (5.8 percent) and Burundi (2.2 percent). In higher learning education,
he noted that if the government through Higher Education Students' Loans Board
(HESLB) could increase a deficit of 50 percent from the amount it currently
give as loan to students which stand at Sh. 400,000/- per year, and this is
increased up to Sh. 600,000/- it could have been enough to all students who are
in need of such loans.
The Secretary General of Tanzania Teachers’ Union (TTU) Ezekiah Oluoch
Coming down on how the money should be collected, Oluoch
has outlined various channels through which the government can make it possible
for the benefit of the people especially the poor to enjoy. He noted that, the government should slash down tax
exemption which at the moment has amounted to Sh. 1 trillion and save the money
that should be directed to education sector. He queried a reflection how world
wonders why Tanzania which economically is not stronger enough and that has
introduced a system of tax exemptions in its government tax collection scheme. Apart from that, he has blasted the
government for failure to curb the increased rate of corruption and other
various financial scandals such as Escrow which have emerged in recent years
and no any effective control has been put in place. He has outlined ways on how
the government can make proper use of Skills Development Levy (SDL) which every
private employer in the country contributes 5 percent of their wage bill for
the development of vocational trainings mostly in VETA colleges. According to
him, only little percentage rate is taken there and larger amount is directed
to public higher learning institution an aspect which he said is contrary to
the purpose for which the fund was established. He said if the whole lot could
be taken to VETA schools, students could be getting free education. On property
tax he said that, if every house constructed in both surveyed and unsurvey
plots could be charged correctly in the country, this is also another source of
money that could be directed to fund education in the country. He further
suggested that the government should have directed road tax collected for fuel
so that it could contribute for education. Another amusing thing is where he queried
why should the government continue collecting Pay As you Earn (PAYE) from
servants whose salary are less than 5 million per year whereas it gives a tax
free holiday to business people whose profits is less than 20 million per year.
He said if a tax structure could be harmonized properly, he is optimistic that
Tanzanians could be freely taking their basic education if such schemes could
be stiffened into action. “Free education is possible and is just a matter of
sitting down and decide on the best ways to be followed”, he said and added
that only that national leaders take the issue for granted and politicizing it
for no reasons. Last week, the Interim Chairman of the Coalition of Defenders
of People’s Constitution (UKAWA) James Mbatia outlined measures which the group
will take in its move to provide free education as earlier campaigned by
Chadema Presidential Candidate who represent the group Mr. Edward Lowassa. He
said the coalition’s plan included slashing presidential foreign trips to 80
percent and other measures he noted would involve curbing tax evasion and
improving efficiency at the country’s major harbours. Mbatia who doubles as
NCCR-Mageuzi Chairman assured that the money was enough to build at least 200
vocational training colleges at the cost of SH. 20 million each. The ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) has
always been assuring Tanzanians in the on-going campaigns that it would allow
free education from the Primary level up to Secondary level in order to let
everybody in the country attain basic education.
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