MWE Correspondent
Tanzania is making significant strides in modernizing its education system, with the government intensifying teacher training efforts to support the rollout of a revised national education policy.
The move is aimed at equipping learners with practical skills that meet evolving job market demands.
In February 2025, President Samia Suluhu Hassan officially launched the Education and Training Policy 2014, Revised 2023. The updated policy emphasizes competency-based learning and vocational preparedness, marking a shift from traditional theory-heavy instruction to a more hands-on, market-oriented approach.
During a session in Parliament on May 12, 2025, the Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Adolf Mkenda, detailed the government’s progress. He noted that over 70,000 teachers have now received training aligned with the new curriculum—3,403 from primary schools and 67,254 from secondary schools. This reflects a massive scale-up compared to the 1,250 teachers trained during the 2021/2022 academic year.
“Our goal is to build a future-focused education system. We are prioritizing human capital development through better-trained educators,” Prof. Mkenda said in his address to lawmakers in Dodoma.
In addition to classroom teachers, the government has extended professional development to:
- 611 school quality assurance officers (up from 368),
- 403 ward education officers, who oversee local school administration,
- 70 trainers at teacher colleges,
- 120 support staff at training institutions,
- 35 heads of teacher training colleges, and
- 9,020 school principals and head teachers.
The training aligns with Tanzania’s broader efforts to revise the Education Act, Chapter 353.
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The legal update is designed to ensure compliance with the revised policy objectives and reflect contemporary educational realities. A public consultation process is underway, with feedback being gathered from educators, policy experts, civil society, and the private sector.
The government has allocated TSh 2.439 trillion (approximately USD 960 million) for the Ministry of Education for the 2025/2026 fiscal year. Of this, more than TSh 1.7 trillion is earmarked for development projects, while the rest will cover administrative and recurrent expenses, including salaries for teachers and education officials.
The new policy promotes digital skills, problem-solving, and technical education to prepare students for a rapidly changing world. The aim is to reduce youth unemployment and boost Tanzania’s competitiveness in both regional and global markets.
In her remarks during the policy launch, President Samia Suluhu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to transforming education.
“This is not just about updating documents; it’s about building an education system that truly empowers our youth,” she said.
As the government continues investing in training, policy updates, and infrastructure, Tanzania’s education reform is shaping up to be one of the most comprehensive in the region—placing learners, and their futures, at the heart of national development.
