HEET Launches Special Foundation Programme To Assist Female Students Acquiring Science Studies At Various Universities -

By Staff Writer

THE Tanzania High Education for Economic Transformation (HEET) Project has launched a tailor -made foundation programme for
increasing enrollment of more girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics subjects.

The HEET project is a five-year venture worth around
$425 million (972bn/-) that aims to strengthen the learning environment and
labor market alignment of priority programs, while enhancing the delivery of
knowledge to produce graduates who meet the demand and standard of the current
and future labor market.

According to the Director of Higher Education in the
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Dr. Kennedy Hosea, introduction
of the foundation will play pivotal role to help increase the number of science
experts in the country, being efforts to stimulate economic growth.

He expressed that the foundation programme is a
special component which seeks to help the female students who fails to obtain
minimum requirements for joining universities through special training at the
Open University of Tanzania (OUT).

“Among others,
HEET will also work to heighten capacity on gender issues to higher learning
institutions including building capacity of gender desks, improving
institutions and training of deans and students on key gender issues,as well as
sextortions,” Dr Hosea unveiled.

He noted that the vision of the initiative was to
raise the number of students joining universities, saying the number was still very low due to numerous challenges.

“Therefore,
through HEET, a good number of the female students will be supported to join
various universities across the country by supporting them to to get the required criteria needed to join the higher learning institutions ,” he
informed.

He challenged the prospective students who will
benefit from the launching program to stay focused and studying hard to have
their dreams achieved.

Prof Elifas Bisanda, OUT Vice Chancellor hailed the
World Bank (WB) for it generous supports in the general development of the university since its inception.

“We’re well prepared to utilise this programme,
marketing it for others to benefit, currently over 1000 girls students will
benefit from the programme who will later be able to join various universities
of their choice,” the Don said.

So far, HEET program has provided funding for over
1000 students for a period of five years
to study a special basic programme (pre-entry course) for girls who
currently lack qualifications to directly
join universities at the undergraduate level.