Despite
ongoing reforms and strong political will, Tanzania’s education sector remains
at a critical crossroads, according to civil society organization HakiElimu.
Speaking
during a media briefing in Dar es Salaam on May 5, 2025, Dr. John Kalage,
Executive Director of HakiElimu, acknowledged that the government has taken
commendable steps to review education policies, restructure the curriculum, and
promote inclusivity across all learning levels.
However,
he noted that significant gaps in implementation and financing continue to
hinder real progress.
“The
education system is still grappling with deep-rooted challenges—ranging from
insufficient budget allocation and critical teacher shortages to gender
insensitivity and a lack of support for students with disabilities,” said Dr.
Kalage.
He
outlined four priority areas that require urgent intervention to help the
sector thrive.
Dr. Kalage
emphasized that the education budget must be raised to at least 15 percent of
the national budget. In the 2024/25 financial year, the sector received TSh
6.17 trillion—equivalent to only 12.5 percent of the total national budget of
TSh 49.35 trillion. This figure falls short of the TSh 6.64 trillion target set
in the Education Sector Development Plan III and lags behind international
benchmarks such as the Incheon Declaration, which recommends allocating 15–20
percent of national budgets to education.
With the
2025/26 budget projected to rise to TSh 55.06 trillion, HakiElimu argues that
allocating at least 15 percent to education is both urgent and feasible.
“This
would ease the sector's growing pressures and accelerate improvements in both
quality and equity,” Dr. Kalage stated.
The other most
alarming challenges, according to Dr. Kalage, is the acute shortage of
teachers. The country faces a deficit of 268,902 teachers across all
levels—61,559 at pre-primary, 124,826 at primary, and 82,517 at secondary.
This
crisis is particularly severe in science subjects such as Physics, Chemistry,
Engineering Science, and Electronics, where teacher shortages exceed 50
percent.
Current
recruitment efforts, averaging around 10,000 teachers per year, are
insufficient to close the gap. At this rate, it would take more than two
decades to meet the current demand, not accounting for attrition due to
retirement or resignation.
“We need a
national strategy to recruit at least 40,000 teachers annually over the next
five years, focusing especially on underserved regions and critical subjects.
This will require a dedicated budget line,” Dr. Kalage stressed.
Gender
sensitivity and inclusivity remain weak points in budget execution at the
school level. Girls continue to face major barriers to education, particularly
due to the lack of menstrual hygiene management facilities.
“Research
shows that many girls miss up to five school days each month because they lack
access to sanitary pads and safe, private toilets,” he said.
To address
this, HakiElimu recommends increasing capitation grants from the current TSh
10,000 for primary and TZS 25,000 for secondary students to TZS 25,000 and TZS
50,000 respectively.
These
adjustments would restore the grants’ original purchasing power, helping
schools meet basic student needs.
In addition, the organization suggests revising school funding guidelines to allocate at least TZS 2,500 per girl annually for sanitary pads and calls for tax exemptions and price controls to make menstrual hygiene products more affordable.
According to him, the situation is still equally bleak for students with disabilities.
Of the
more than 14.5 million students enrolled in Tanzanian schools in 2023, only 0.6
percent, about 87,000, had registered disabilities.
Meanwhile,
the number of trained special education teachers stands at just 1,137, many of
whom are limited to supporting specific types of impairments.
“We must
invest in training more special needs teachers, particularly at institutions
like Patandi Teachers’ College, and equip schools with accessible
infrastructure and assistive technologies,” urged Dr. Kalage.
“Without
these investments, inclusive education will remain a policy on paper—not a
reality in the classroom,” he added.
While
Tanzania has laid a strong policy foundation, Dr. Kalage warned that the gap
between national reforms and grassroots execution is causing widespread
setbacks.
In 2024
alone, more than 148,000 students dropped out of school, and over 508,000 were
unable to sit for national exams. Alarmingly, nearly 60 percent of students who
completed Form Four in 2022 and 2023 received Division IV or failed
entirely—effectively ending their chances for further education or vocational
training.
“Without
clear mechanisms for local-level implementation and monitoring, all the
well-intentioned reforms risk stalling before they reach the learner,” he
cautioned.
HakiElimu’s
message is clear: the future of Tanzania’s education system hinges on decisions
made today. Turning aspirations into results will require more than rhetoric—it
demands bold, sustained investment in people, infrastructure, and inclusive
policy execution.
“Only then
can we build an education system that is equitable, high-quality, and capable
of unlocking the full potential of every child,” concluded Dr. Kalage.