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{
    "id": 711878,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/711878/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 135,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Dawood",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2572,
        "legal_name": "Abdul Rahim Dawood",
        "slug": "abdul-rahim-dawood"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. From the outset, I support Hon. Lusweti’s Motion regarding employment of bursars in schools. The way our schools are run at the moment leaves a lot to be desired. There are schools where emergency funds are required for the construction of pit latrines or repair of pit latrines which have sunk because of rains yet there is money in schools which, if used prudently, would do a lot. Bursars need to be employed directly through the National Treasury. The CS, National Treasury, said that all Ministry departments should employ auditors. This is the direction we should take. Bursars should not be under the head teachers. If bursars were to be employed by the head teachers, it would definitely defeat the purpose of their very own existence. So, we need to determine how the bursars are to be paid and who is to pay them. Some of my colleagues have said that it is an extra expense because the wage bill will increase. We should look at the bigger picture. The wage bill will increase, but corruption that is going on in some schools will stop. Parents pay a lot of money to take their children to the Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) classes, but if you talk to those who are in charge, you realise that they do not even account to the sponsors of the institutions. Therefore, you cannot tell how the money is used. It is my view that bursars should be paid from another source and be accountable to another authority. They should not be under the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) at all. If we do not do that, we will have problems. For example, if money was to get lost, we would not want the teachers’ unions on our back telling us that we cannot sack people. So, this is the right way to go if the Government implements this proposal. One of the speakers said that the Jubilee Government, in its manifesto, promised to provide free secondary education. In 2013, the Jubilee Government waived examination fees for all students. It has also promised that starting 2017, children under the ECDE in public primary schools or ECDE centres, even though they fall within the province of the county governments, will be exempt from payment of fees. That is a big plus for the Jubilee Government. I thank the Member from the CORD side who said that the President will not have to campaign. This is because we have done very well in the The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}