Key Principles for Every School Community

Summary: Education is vital to development in Tanzania. This booklet is about school committees. It explains the key principles for good governance underlying school committees and their members. While launching the Primary Education Development Plan (PEDP) at Mtopwa Village in September 2002, President Mkapa emphasized the role of school committees in planning, implementing, and overseeing school development and the use of school funds. This booklet aims to support Government efforts to strengthen school committees and expand opportunities for people to contribute to improving education. The key principles for good governance are human rights, participation, accountability, transparency and democracy. It is important that every school committee discuss and understand these principles and their true meaning in relation to education. I believe that by implementing these principles school committees will gain the confidence of the people who they represent. The main audiences for this booklet are school committee members and community leaders. I request leaders at district and regional levels to help distribute it to communities countrywide so that it reaches these audiences.