Forgive me for engaging in silly hyperbole, but to some extent I do believe this is occurring in Tanzania. I think even those of use that are Christians, if we observe the situation long enough, notice that it is inhibiting progress. Progress of what, exactly?
Well, as an educator myself, I make the argument that religion is inhibiting intellectual progress. It isn't difficult to see; at my school, we have 2 class periods (80 minutes) on our weekly schedule set aside for "Religion." We also get out 80 minutes early on Fridays for those that practice Islam. Four class periods out of the weekly 40-some doesn't seem like that much of a sacrifice, but I think it does do damage when students are trying to figure out how the two, education and religion, should coincide and fit together. I like the way C.S. Lewis puts it:
Nowadays most people hardly think of Prudence as one of the "virtues." In fact, because Christ said we could only get into His world by being like children, many Christians have the idea that, provided you are "good," it does not matter being a fool. But that is a misunderstanding. In the first place, most children show plenty of "prudence" about doing the things they are really interested in, and think them out quite sensibly. In the second place, as St. Paul points out, Christ never meant that we were to remain children in intelligence: on the contrary, He told us to be not only "as harmless as doves," but also "as wise as serpents." He wants a child's heart, but a grown-up's head. (Mere Christianity, "The Cardinal Virtues")
In other words, "religion" is not an excuse for being uneducated. In Christianity, it is quite the opposite.
