A FORMER Mayor and Mayoress of St Albans are highlighting the shortage of maths and science teachers in a country with which they have strong links.

Cllr Chris Oxley and his wife Marion have had a long friendship with Marcia Mshana, who is head of 1,600-pupil Mawenzi High School in North Tanzania.

They met when St Albans High School, of which Marion was head of governors, decided to twin with a Tanzanian school and chose Mtwara Girls Secondary School where Marcia was head at the time.

Marion travelled to Tanzania with the head at the time in 2000 and struck up a firm friendship with Marcia which has continued ever since.

Marcia has since moved to become head of Mawenzi High School and on a visit to this country has been staying with the couple at their Wheathampstead home. Marcia revealed Mawenzi could no longer teach maths or science because of a severe shortage of teachers, in part due to the lack of financial resources.

Cllr Oxley said: “It occurred to me that with the current unemployment, particularly of young people, they may be interested to volunteer to go to Tanzania to teach for six to 12 months or more at a time.

“This would give them valuable work experience, help their CVs and be a highly valuable contribution to the local Tanzanian people.”