The EAC has agreed to allow free movement of labour among the five Partner States - Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, according to the Head of StateBy Brandy NelsonThe Citizen CorrespondentMbeya. President Jakaya Kikwete said on Tuesday that there was a need to provide employment to teachers from other East African Community (EAC) countries in an effort to curb the shortage of teachers in the country.President Kikwete said that the move would reduce the shortage of science teachers and improve the education sector. He was responding to owners and managers of private schools and colleges in the country who complained about the cumbersome procedures, including paying US$1500 as annual fee for employing a foreign teacher in the country.The Head of State said that the EAC countries (Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burudindi) had agreed on, among other issues, to allow movement of labour among the Partner States."Every country will be required to list down employment opportunities that are open to foreigners and those which are not," he said. He added: "We will resolve this matter of high tax for working permits because we have already agreed that every country will make it clear."He said that Tanzania needed English Language, science and mathematics teachers and that the government was doing everything in its capacity to make sure the matter was resolved as soon as possible.According to President Kikwete, Tanzania has a shortage of at least 26,000 teachers for science subjects and that local universities produce only 2,200 teachers with degrees and diplomas every year."We are going to review the procedures for providing working permits to foreigners so that we can be able to source more competent teachers from abroad," he said.
