JK nails GPE’s 329.9m US dollars support for Tanzania’s quality education with school infrastructure a key priority
Former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete emphasized the importance of quality education and infrastructure investment for Africa's youth. Speaking at the Africa50 meeting, he highlighted the need to bridge the gap between primary and secondary school enrollment.
Why it matters
Addressing educational access is critical for long-term economic development and workforce productivity in African nations.
DAR ES SALAAM: THE former Tanzanian President, Dr Jakaya Kikwete, has stressed that access to quality education is the most critical investment for preparing Africa’s youth for future jobs, entrepreneurship and economic transformation.
Speaking at the Africa50 Annual General Meeting held at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC) in Dar es Salaam, Dr Kikwete said Tanzania’s expansion of secondary education during his presidency was driven by the need to ensure that children who completed primary school could continue learning and acquire relevant skills.
“When I became president, only six per cent of children who completed primary school were able to join secondary school,” he said.
He explained that previous efforts had focused mainly on universal primary education, which increased enrolment to more than 98 per cent of school-age children, but secondary education had not expanded at the same pace to absorb the growing number of pupils completing primary school.
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