Right Said Ed

I'm still feeling a bit funky since returning to New York, so I've been remiss about writing an original piece for the blog in recent weeks.  I'll try to remedy that shortly, but until then, at least we have this political fodder over which to muse! 

With the election set to take place later this month, the headlines out of Tanzania continue to be dominated by news from the campaign trail.  From the Daily News, this article on presidential hopeful, Edward Lowassa, and his call for the overhaul of the entire Tanzanian education system piqued my interest.... and prompted a lil' chuckle.
 
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Union presidential candidate on the Coalition of Four Opposition Political Parties (UKAWA) ticket, Mr. Edward Lowassa, has promised to overhaul the entire education system to meet current challenges and changes.

Addressing a campaign rally at Mwembeyanga Grounds in Temeke District in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Mr. Lowassa said his government will review the curriculum of both primary and secondary education should he clinch the top post of the land.

"I will start my leadership with education as my top priority.  All I need is a big number of your votes to have the mandate to deliver what I have promised you," said the former prime minister.

Mr. Lowassa reiterated that education would be free from kindergarten to university level and that the funds to finance the promised free education would be drawn from the country's natural resource endowment, including gas.

"I am vying for the presidency because I hate poverty.  I want to lead Tanzanians to alleviate poverty.  The gap between the haves and have-nots has become huge," he noted.

Drumming support for Temeke CUF parliamentary candidate, Mr. Abdallah Mtolea, Mr. Lowassa said the aspirant would be able to deliver to expectations in development if the Tanzanian people would enable him to become their MP.

Earlier, Mr. Mtolea, whose party is among the four political parties forming UKAWA, pointed out the state of education in Temeke constituency was bad and he asked Mr. Lowassa to address the problem.

"We have a few schools, which do not accommodate the number of children in the constituency while many students are performing poorly in examinations," he said.

Mr. Mtolea promised to eliminate financial contributions to schools by parents should he be elected the area's MP, noting that since Temeke was among the good tax collectors, the district would be able to finance all education costs.