Govt to disburse $50 000 to each district for STEM

THE Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development will soon disburse $50 000 to every district for the establishment of Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) centres for rural schools and increase accessibility to Science laboratory facilities.

In an interview on Friday on the sidelines of a graduation ceremony at Mkoba Teachers’ College, Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Deputy Minister Dr Godfrey Gandawa said the ministry will from July disburse the money to all the country’s districts.

“Last year the minister announced that we are mobilising $50 000 for each district so that we help our sister Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to fund the construction of one STEM centre for a start. We are establishing Science laboratories so that we are able to help disadvantaged communities so that rural pupils that do have access to these facilities will be able to utilise them,” he said.

Dr Gandawa said his ministry and that of Primary and Secondary Education were working together towards the achievement of the initiative.

“We have had some discords but we have since resolved them and we are now moving together. I am confident that by July we will be able to disburse the $50 000 to every district so that we establish STEM centres,” he said.

Dr Gandawa said his ministry was crafting a Bill that would enable teachers training institutions, technical colleges and universities to withdraw certificates of errant teachers who sexually abuse pupils and lecturers who solicit for sexual favours from students in return for higher grades.

He said there were rampant cases of teachers who sexually abuse school pupils and juveniles and in some instances impregnating them while there were lecturers in universities who were demanding sex from students in exchange for good grades.

Dr Gandawa added that the ministry was also working on a piece of legislation for Higher and Tertiary education institutions which also includes private colleges and universities to curb sexual abuse. He said the law will harmonise all 20 Acts that were separately governing higher and tertiary education system, a development which he said led to malpractices and inconsistencies in the administration of tertiary institutions.

“It is a comprehensive Act which encompasses all 20 Acts that are currently governing universities and colleges because each institution has its own Act. The variation of policies causes some disharmony in the running of the institutions. Once this law is done it will control malpractices,” he said.

Dr Gandawa said teachers should be viewed as an epitome of moral virtues who should inspire and influence learner behaviour. About 417 granduands were awarded diplomas in education, 205 of which were Early Childhood Development (ECD) teachers. Of these 31 majored in Mathematics while 52 majored in Science.