OPEN FORUM ON EDUCATION AND LITERACY

PRESS RELEASE

OPEN FORUM ON EDUCATION AND LITERACY

21 NOVEMBER 2011

A policy dialogue on 50 years of Independence: reflecting on the state of education and literacy in Tanzania, now and beyond.

E&D Readership and Development Agency--Soma and Booksellers Association of Tanzania (BSAT) are practitioners in literacy through readership and book development; with an aspiration to see Tanzania meeting its development targets as spelled out in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and MKUKUTA. We believe this can happen if we rethink about our education: philosophy, approach and practice including quality, how inclusive, how it is resourced, managed and what gets prioritized.

These two institutions are jointly organizing a public event, that will take place at Soma Book Café (Regent Estate, 53 Mlingotini Close) from Monday 28th to Wednesday 30th November 2011 from 5pm to 10pm, for education stakeholders to reflect on the state of education and literacy 50 years of Uhuru. The event is a sequel to the National Book Week and is meant to provide space for private citizens, educators, education planners and policy makers, intellectuals and learners to reflect on efforts made by the people and their Government since Mwalimu Nyerere’s era in the fight against illiteracy as one of the three tier enemies of development.

The event seeks to bring a balance between dialogue, serious reflection and creative expression, on Tuesday 29th of November 2011 the main activity will be a Policy dialogue bringing together a wide range of stakeholders with diverse skills, perspectives, and experiences on education, literacy and development to engage in a conversation on the state of education and literacy in Tanzania: “what grounds we have covered?”, “what we could have done better?”, and “what we need to do to become?” within the coming decade, a good example of a learning society. This will feature a panel, plenary, poetry, storytelling and other forms of literary expression.

Apart from that, there will be other sub-activities daily from 28th through to the 30th November 2011 ranging from exhibition of books and other education related inputs, literary expression, and fundraising for a social cause by auctioning second-hand books, spontaneous talent shows, music, dance, barbeque and bar tenders in action.

We hereby, urge all society members to come and participate in airing out their views on how we can improve our education for the betterment of the nation. No entrance fee! You are all welcome.

Demere Kitunga-(SOMA) Hobokela Magale (BSAT)