A brief history of Politics and Education in Tanzania

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There are over five-million children out of school in Tanzania, most of whom have been forced into child labor by extreme poverty, or through being orphaned by HIV/AIDS, Malaria, or other tragedies. Many of these children have dropped out between primary and secondary school due to inability to pay school fees, and the extreme shortage of secondary schools in the country. The national Primary Education Development Program (PEDP), initiated in 2000, has made dramatic improvements in the numbers of children enrolled and retained in primary school in Tanzania, but many schools are of very low quality with not enough books, teachers or desks, and over-crowded classrooms. The situation at secondary level is bleaker. At only 20.6% as of 2007, Tanzania has one of the lowest secondary net enrollment ratios in the world. And not even 1% of children enroll in advanced level Form V and VI, the last step before going to college. Currently, due to shortage of schools only a fraction of children eligible for secondary school can get spaces. While the Government of Tanzania has made dramatic improvements in secondary enrollment from 6.3 net enrollment in 2003, to 20.6% today, it faces great challenges regarding quality, with high class sizes (40 per class) and student-teacher ratios; inadequate books and supplies; and poor performance of students.

Photo by Sarah Bones

While the Government of Tanzania has a Secondary Education Development Plan (SEDP) in place aiming to increase secondary education access, it faces great challenges, especially related to the quality of education provided and access for the poor. While the government struggles to keep up with the rising population of children who need to be educated, including an everincreasing number of orphans and vulnerable children, students continue to drop out, especially during the transition from primary school to secondary.

This page presents key points in Tanzanian history and education development. 1880s-1919: Tanzania is a German Colony

1919: Tanzania becomes a British Trust Territory

1934: Under British rule, the first secondary school for Tanzanians opens in Tabora

1935: Education budget for entire Tanganyika amounted to (US) $ 240,000

1956: Expansion of education beyond primary school becomes a priority, due to shortage of skilled labor in Tanzania

1960: enrollment in Form IV (11th grade) reaches 700 pupils (the estimated population at that time in Tanzania was 10.6 million people)

1961: Tanzania gains Independence from the British

1967: pupils completing secondary school reaches 5,000

1967: The much loved President Nyerere (known even today as "Father of the Nation"; and "Teacher") delivers his "Arusha Declaration", outlining his version of socialism to develop the nation's economy which included system of self-reliance in locally administered villages through a villagization program structured around the ujamaa, or extended family found in traditional Africa. The strong pro-poor focus of the Arusha declaration aimed to equip Tanzanians for self-reliant rural livelihoods, based on agriculture. Nyerere aimed that the majority of people would attain primary education, with a small minority going beyond that.

Mid 1970s: funding was concentrated on primary education expansion. Secondary enrolment stagnated.

1970s-1980s policies restricted involvement of the private and voluntary sector in education in an effort to maintain equality and socialist principles.

1985: Socialism in Tanzania ends, and Nyerere hands over power to Ali Hassan Mwinyi

1995: First ever multi-party elections are held

2001: Government of Tanzania drops primary school fees

2001: First grade enrollments increased by 43.1% due to free primary education

2001-2002: 1.7 million extra children join the school system

2004: Government begins expanding the secondary school system under SEDP (Secondary Education Development Programme), but not fast enough to meet the demands of the first pool of graduating 7th graders in 2007 & 2008.

2007: Secondary enrollment in Tanzania is among the lowest in the world at 20%, but Government is rapidly expanding infrastructure.