SINGIDA Regional Commissioner, Halima Dendego, has directed the region’s education department to increase enrolment for first year secondary school pupils within seven days.

The initiative aims to streamline enrolment processes and alleviate the financial burden on parents caused by unregulated contributions.

Speaking during the Regional Consultative Council (RCC) meeting yesterday, Dendego highlighted that the current practice, where each school sets its own enrolment procedures, places excessive demands on parents, often requiring pupils to bring numerous items.

“A review of Form One enrolment was alarming, with pupils being asked to bring an array of items such as hoes, machetes, and other tools. We need a unified plan, and if additional contributions are necessary, parents must be consulted, and a consensus reached,” Dendego stated.

The Regional Commissioner emphasised that arbitrary contributions undermine the principle of free education, disproportionately impacting parents, particularly those in rural areas.

Dendego also condemned the expulsion of students for failing to provide items such as hoes, machetes, or uniforms, describing the practice as unacceptable.

Dendego also criticised the Education Department for providing misleading statistics, saying the department claimed that 100 per cent of secondary schools in the region were providing meals to pupils, but in reality only pupils in examination classes were receiving meals.

Earlier, Singida’s acting Regional Education Officer, Imani Mwaipaja, reported that by December 2024, 100 per cent of secondary schools (194 schools) and 95 per cent of primary schools (691 schools) were providing meals to pupils.