PARENTS and guardians in Makambako Town Council, Njombe District, have been urged to work together to raise children and combat child abuse, particularly rape and sodomy to protect them from psychological and physical harm.

This appeal was made here recently by Samweli Kombe, Head of Early Childhood and Primary Education Department at Makambako Town Council, during a press briefing on the enrolment and commencement of early childhood and primary education.

Kombe stressed the urgent need for the community to address incidents of violence against young children to prevent mental trauma.

“We continue to face significant challenges with child abuse in Makambako. I strongly urge parents, guardians, and the wider community to take action on this alarming issue. Our children are losing their peace of mind. Let us work together to reduce cases of child abuse,” Kombe stated.

He also reported that the council had surpassed its first-grade enrolment target, achieving 100.3 per cent, while enrolment for early childhood education stood at 70.1 per cent. Kombe attributed the shortfall in early education enrolment to many parents choosing to send their children to day care centres instead of pre-schools.

“Many parents prefer to enrol their children in day care centres, and by the time they turn six, they are unable to join our pre-schools. This is primarily because most of these centres are privately owned, often run by organisations or religious institutions. We are collaborating closely with social welfare officers to address this issue,” he added.

Kombe also noted that Makambako Town Council continues to excel academically. In the 2023 national exams for fourth grade, the pass rate was 97 per cent, which rose to 98.2 per cent in 2024. Similarly, the seventh-grade pass rate improved from 92.6 per cent in 2023 to 94 per cent in 2024. He urged parents and the community to maintain their support for teachers, aiming for a 100 per cent pass rate in the future.

Some parents in Makambako, including Silvesta Sanga, highlighted that the tendency to enroll children in day care centres was the main challenge to increasing pre-school enrolment.

“We also call on the government to ensure that those accused of child abuse face legal action to end such acts,” Sanga said.