Dodoma — The opposition camp in Parliament said the Tanzania Teachers' Professional Board Bill of 2018 intends to control teachers instead of fighting for their development.

This was said in Parliament on Wednesday, September 5, by opposition spokesperson in Education matters, Ms Suzan Lyimo when tabling the opposition camp views on the Bill tabled for debate.

She said emphasis paid by the Bill remained on the areas of controlling and punishing teachers when they commit offences in the course of implementing their duties.

"The Bill is silent on how teachers will be counseled when they are stressed or when they face problems which may undermine their professionalism," she said.

She said the Bill was full of don'ts, lists of offenses and punishments to offenders (teachers).

"It doesn't mean that teachers should not be punished for arbitrary indiscipline, we want them to fulfill their duties while abiding by ethics using friendly systems contrary to the police-court system which is being proposed by this Bill of the law," she said.

She said they supported opinions by some education stakeholders that increasing laws aiming to control, punish, oppress and subject them to full agitation stewardship will not increase their efficiency, rather teachers will be demoralised.

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