World Bank approves $ 500 million education loan to Tanzania

DAR ES SALAAM, April 1 (Reuters) – The World Bank has approved a $ 500 million education loan to Tanzania after years of delay over concerns over the country’s policy of banning pregnant students public schools.

The World Bank froze $ 1.7 billion in loans to Tanzania in 2018 following a ban on pregnant students and a law prohibiting the questioning of official statistics. He started releasing funds for the East African country again last September.

The terms of the loan, which aims to improve access to secondary school, give pregnant students – who were forced to drop out – a chance to complete their studies through alternative public education programs, announced on Tuesday. the World Bank.

President John Magufuli announced a ban on pregnant women in 2017, drawing strong criticism from activists and donors.

The World Bank, Tanzania’s largest external lender, says about 5,500 pregnant girls drop out of school each year.

Foreign loans and grants are a key source of foreign exchange for East Africa’s third largest economy.

Opposition leader Zitto Kabwe, who previously asked the World Bank to put the loan on hold until it was more inclusive, praised activists and the loan’s terms on Twitter.

Still, some activists pointed out that there was a lot more work to be done.

“I expected the World Bank to push for the reinstatement of teenage mothers banned from public schools, period,” said Carol Ndosi, a women’s activist. But, so far, it was a step in the right direction, Ndosi said. (Reporting by Nuzulack Dausen; writing by Ayenat Mersie; editing by Bernadette Baum)