'FORESTS RESERVE WILL CURB SHORTAGE OF SCHOOL DESKS'

Minister of Tourism and Natural Resources, Lazaro Nyalandu

By Felix Andrew

The ministry of Tourism and Natural Resources has started to set aside portions of forest reserves for district authorities in acute shortage of school desks.

The responsible minister, Lazaro Nyalandu said when responding to a supplementary question raised by Maria Hewa (Special Seats, CCM) in parliament on Tuesday.

The MP had wanted to know government’s plans towards setting aside forests reserve in district councils which have shortage of desks.

“Why doesn’t the government set aside forests reserve in district councils and allow them to cut down trees for making the desks in order to bridge the shortage gap?” she asked.

Responding, Nyalandu said the government had already started to receive applications from the district councils which intend to cut down trees for desk making.

“We will give the first priority to the district councils that want the trees for desks making,” he reiterated.

Earlier reacting to Hewa’s basic question, deputy minister in Prime Minister’s Office - Local Government Regional Administration, Aggrey Mwanri said the government had started to address the shortage of desks countrywide.

The MP wanted the government to explain its strategies towards ensuring availability of enough desks in public schools.

Mwanri said the shortage in primary schools is at 36.7 percent while in secondary schools the shortage stands at 8.2 percent.

He said during 2012/13 financial year, the government dished out a total of 5.5bn/- to all district councils for the purchase of desks
.
Mwanri further said a total of 56, 293 hard plastic desks will be distributed to 41 district councils in six regions in Coastal zone.

He also added that 61,468 steel framed desks will be distributed to 124 district councils.


However, statistics from Prime Minister’s Office show that over 1,882,313 school desks are required to meet the demand of desks in public primary and secondary schools.

Primary schools need 3,302,678 desks but only 1,837,783 desks are available, while secondary schools need at least 1,648,858 desks but there are only 1,231,440 desks.
 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN