Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Tuesday, December 19, 2023.
World Bank outlines strategies Tanzania can achieve private sector-led growth
A new World Bank report has suggested that Tanzania needs to switch gears towards a more private sector-driven growth model, noting that that is the only way through which the East African nation can ensure the viability of its economic growth and realise its development potential.
A newly launched Country Economic Memorandum for Tanzania titled ‘Privatising Growth’ notes that Tanzania’s growth over the past twenty years has been characterised by a noticeable shift towards increased reliance on public infrastructure investments to fuel growth, slowing structural transformation, and a diminishing role of exports.
A statement released Tuesday quoted World Bank Country Director Nathan Belete recognising Tanzania’s “impressive” economic growth while emphasising the need for the country to be “faster, better, and more inclusive.”
Full story here.
If development is truly about people, then they must care and fight for it
During a 4,000-kilometre road journey with my two friends earlier this year, a series of observations prompted a critical inquiry: is our society adequately prepared for development?
This inquiry, distinct from the conventional considerations of policies and infrastructure, emphasises the human factor. During our journey, incidents such as buses idling on roadways adjacent to vacant bus stops and infrastructure vandalism served as catalysts for this reflection.
Mwalimu Julius Nyerere’s enduring legacy is underscored by his conceptualisation of development, positing four indispensable components: people, land, clean politics, and effective leadership.
Full analysis here.
Pitting public schools against private ones doesn’t improve our education system
In an interview with Clouds FM’s Power Breakfast show on Tuesday, December 19, 2023, Tabora regional commissioner Batilda Buriani boldly announced that the education landscape in Tanzania has shifted remarkably since Samia Suluhu Hassan assumed the presidency.
“We’re grateful to President Samia Suluhu Hassan for her massive investment in the education sector that has started to pay off,” Ms Buriani said during the interview. “You cannot compare today’s public education with the past. Public education now appears more like private education. Even in national results, public schools outperform private ones.”
A shadow of scepticism drapes the pronouncements extolling the virtues of our public schools. It murmurs amongst the corridors of power, where the very officials championing public education send their own children to the havens of private institutions!
While we must avoid knee-jerk dismissals, let us delve into the unvarnished reality of our educational landscape, painting a nuanced picture beyond mere applause. First, look at the most recent Form Four and Form Six results. In the 2022 Form Four results, which came out in February 2023, the following schools made the top ten.
Full analysis here.
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