Completed schools must mean equipped learning spaces

DAR ES SALAAM: THE decision to prioritise unfinished school projects before embarking on new classroom construction is not merely a matter of construction management. It is a sensible approach to public spending, planning and educational preparedness.

Across the country, resources have already been invested in school buildings that remain incomplete. Finishing these structures should therefore be the immediate priority. Starting additional projects while existing ones remain unfinished risks spreading limited resources too thinly, delaying benefits to communities and making it harder to establish the true scale of infrastructure shortages.

The urgency is heightened by anticipated changes in the education system that will significantly increase the number of pupils entering secondary schools from 2028. A much larger student population will require more classrooms, laboratories, teachers and other education professionals. The projected demand for more than 27,000 additional teachers alone demonstrates the scale of preparations required.

However, accurate planning must begin with what already exists. Completing unfinished classrooms will provide a clearer picture of available capacity and reveal precisely where new facilities are genuinely necessary. It will also enable students who have qualified for secondary education to enter their assigned schools without unnecessary delays caused by inadequate accommodation.

Yet completing a building should not be treated as the final measure of success. A classroom without desks, chairs and other essential learning facilities cannot provide the environment students deserve. Schools must be furnished and properly equipped alongside construction so that learners can study in safe, comfortable and functional surroundings.

This principle should extend to laboratories and other specialised facilities. Education infrastructure is meaningful only when it supports effective teaching and learning. A completed structure that lacks basic furniture or equipment is, in practical terms, an incomplete investment.

We also have stakeholders, well-wishers and communities that must also play their part. They should be encouraged to contribute towards equipping completed schools with desks, tables and other essential furniture. The government cannot do everything alone, because these are our children, and their education is a shared responsibility.

There is also a compelling case for stronger expenditure discipline. Government institutions and local authorities should continually examine spending on vehicles, workshops, allowances and travel, identifying savings that can be redirected towards urgent development priorities. Every shilling saved should deliver greater public value.