News From Parliament

Parents urged to protect children

PARENTS have been urged to show love to their children and provide them with basic necessities as a way of fighting street children problem. 

The Deputy Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government, Mr Aggrey Mwanri told the National Assembly here that though the government has the responsibility of serving its wananchi, parents should mind the wellbeing of their children.

He was responding to a question by Azza Hillal Hamad (Special Seats) who had wanted to know the way the government was supporting disadvantaged children to get education. She claimed that the government had failed in its attempt to support children living in difficult environment. 

The deputy minister described the problem of children under difficult environment as a cross cutting issue that involves the ministries of community development, gender and children; health and social welfare; education and vocational training; information, culture and sports; as well as regional administration and local government.

He said the government programme to finance secondary education for economically disadvantaged children started in 2003 with a view of providing equal opportunities in accessing secondary education.  The government through the ministry of education used to finance studies of the children subject to identified needs.

But, following the decentralisation of operations and managements of secondary schools, the councils were directed to identify the needy children and incorporate the costs of their education into their annual budgets.  Mr Mwanri cited Shinyanga region which has in its 2012/13 budget over 67m/- to educate a total of 2,579 children in difficult environment.