TANZANIA has won the United Nations award for its impressive progress towards attaining universal primary education, some five years ahead of the 2015 deadline set under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The Prime Minister, Mr Mizengo Pinda, received the award at a ceremony held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York on Sunday, describing it as a catalyst for the country to achieve all other MDGs ahead of the 2015 target.
The MDGs, endorsed by the world leaders in September 2000, set out eight targets which range from eliminating hunger, halving extreme poverty, halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education - all by the 2015 target date.
“This award is like putting fuel of an engine’’, said the premier amid applause from the hundreds who attended the function. Tanzania has succeeded by more than 95 per cent in attaining education goal through the universal primary school enrolment.
The UN also awarded Malawi for its success in eliminating hunger by enhancing food security. The award was presented to President Bingu wa Mutharika at the same occasion.
Mr Pinda, who is in New York representing President Jakaya Kikwete, at the 65th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and the three-day high level meeting to accelerate the implementation of the UN anti-poverty goals or MDGs, earlier met the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Dr Asha-Rose Migiro and the African Union representative to the UN, Ambassador Amina Salum Ali.
Meanwhile, about 140 world leaders yesterday attended the opening of the MDGs summit, where they are expected to measure progress towards achievement of the targets and review difficulties encountered in the process.
With just five years to go before the deadline for achieving the MDGs, the leaders will discuss how and where they can do more in the remaining period to defeat poverty, reduce hunger, stop environmental degradation, improve education, boost maternal and child health and reach the other remaining targets.
In another development, despite notable achievements in education, there are many challenges being faced in Zanzibar including overcrowded classrooms and inadequate facilities.
“We have recorded a lot of achievements in the past decade in education, including narrowing gender disparity in schools, but there is still much to be done," said Mr Mwalimu Abdallah Mzee, Deputy Principal Secretary in the Zanzibar Ministry of Education and Vocational Training at an evaluation seminar.
Mr Mzee said Zanzibar has reformed its education system, making compulsory education from nursery to form IV, instead of form three.
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