In education push, Tanzania to punish parents of children out of school

Tanzania prepares to introduce free basic education for all, the government has warned that it will punish parents who fail to ensure their children go to school.
In a major policy shift, primary and secondary schooling will be free for all Tanzanian children from January, as the government joins its East African neighbour Uganda in offering universal education free of charge.
George Masaju, Tanzania's attorney general, warned that parents deemed to be holding back efforts to create a literate society by keeping children out of school would face punishment.
"Causing a child to drop from school for any reason is a criminal offence because you offend his fundamental right of being educated," Masaju said late last month at a graduation ceremony at Feza School in Dar es Salaam.