DAR ES SALAAM, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Wednesday officially launched a national education initiative to construct 103 vocational secondary schools across the country, a project valued at 41.6 billion Tanzanian shillings (about 15.9 million U.S. dollars).
The president laid the foundation stone for Mwamapalala Secondary School in the Itilima district in the Simiyu region. The school, which is already 96 percent complete, is being constructed for 1.6 billion shillings, as one of the flagship institutions under the new initiative.
Hassan said the project underscores the government's commitment to addressing youth unemployment and ensuring the growing private sector in Tanzania has access to a skilled workforce.
She emphasized a shift in Tanzania's education policy to ensure that students graduate with employable, hands-on skills rather than only academic qualifications.
Minister of Education, Science, and Technology Adolf Mkenda said the first phase includes the construction of 26 schools in Tanzania's mainland and two in Zanzibar.
The nationwide construction of vocational schools is part of broader government efforts to reform the education sector and enhance youth employability in alignment with national development goals. ■