Minister affirms non-science students also given loans

Minister for Education and Vocational Training Dr. Shukuru Kawamba

All students in non science faculties were given their loans from the Higher Education Students' Loans Board (HESLB) in the year 2013/14, the government has asserted.

Addressing the House yesterday in the Dodoma, Minister for Education and Vocational Training Dr Shukuru Kawamba, said all subjects taught in schools have equal importance but the government has set priorities according to national and global market demands.

Dr Kawamba was responding to a question by Mary Mwanjelwa special seats legislator (CCM) who alleged that there is a large number of qualified students who didn’t get government loans simply because they did not take science subjects.

“Why do students who pursue art subjects denied loans?” she asked. 
Responding, Minister Kawambwa, said Tanzania is facing a huge shortage of medical officers, science and mathematics teachers, irrigation engineers and oil and gas engineers.

“In order to get experts in these industries, the government has deliberately prioritised provision of loans to these students,” he said.

However, Dr Kawambwa said non science students who passed their examinations were also given the loans.
He said during the academic year 2013/14 a total of 20,211 students who pursued non science subjects were given loans and out of them, 5,392 are in the teaching profession.

He noted that the government would continue to prepare and distribute various teaching curriculum equipment on science subjects citing that at the moment, the government has disbursed micro science kits to 9 regions and 36 district councils.

According to the Higher Education Students’ Loans Board (HESLB) for the academic year 2013/2014, the government allocated 306bn/- for student loans.