Scholar raises concerns about Tanzania literacy rates
17/08/2009
There are ongoing concerns that the lack of literacy in Tanzania could threaten the region's long-term development.
Professor Mugyabuso Mulokozi made his comments at the sixth Pan African Reading For All conference, explaining that it is essential for steps to be taken now to help improve the standards of reading and writing, the Citizen reports.
"Every day there are new challenges but people are not reading to get new skills which would help them overcome emerging problems, we need to find a solution before things get worse," the regional news provider quotes him as saying.
The professor added that the level of literacy in Tanzania has declined over the past 20 years, falling from 80 per cent to 60 per cent and said this shift could be linked to the decrease in native language use, as well as the ongoing cost of publishing locally-produced books.
According to UN figures, around 2.2 per cent of Tanzania's total GDP is spend on education each year.
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