OUTCOMES FOR ALL
As Tanzania strives to position itself as a leader in East Africa, education has come to play an increasingly vital role in the country's strategic outlook.
As Tanzania strives to attain middle-income country status by 2025, education has and will continue to take center stage. Systemic deficiencies that have historically plagued the East African country are being addressed in real and powerful ways. Tanzania's public expenditure on education sits at around 3.6% of GDP, and concerted efforts to improve equity and access have born real fruit.
According to The World Bank, gross enrollment for primary school is 93%, 35% for secondary school, and only 3.9% for tertiary education. And while education statistics are generally worse for women, a heavy focus on equity in recent years has helped narrow the gap. The ratio of female-to-male enrollment at primary school is 103.2%, while it is only 87.5% for secondary school and a scant 54.7% for tertiary institutions. As a result of historically poor education outcomes, the adult literacy rate is only 67.8%, with female literacy approaching 75.5% and male literacy sitting at 60.8%. A recent report from Human Rights Watch estimated that nearly 40% of adolescents in Tanzania are left out of the education system thanks in part to a lack adequate infrastructure in rural areas, poor national policies, and some forms of discrimination. However, an impressive fiscal commitment—nearly 22% of the national budget was committed to education—has improved outcomes for large numbers of students in developing and traditionally underserved areas.
While equity in education has improved greatly in recent years, overall education quality is still developing. According to USAID, less than one in 10 students are able to read and comprehend material. In an effort to boost reading skills among Tanzanian youth, USAID, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the President's office has inaugurated a number of initiatives under the umbrella of Tusome Pamoja, or Let's Read Together. This program aims to tackle student outcomes by improving the number of grade-level literate children. USAID has committed over USD67 million to this program between 2016 and 2021, and the regions of Morogoro, Iringa, Ruvuma, Mtwara, Unguja, and Pemba will receive the lion's share of attention. More than 3,000 primary schools and 1.4 million children are expected to benefit from the program.
While classroom materials and teacher training have been lacking in past decades, the government and international agencies have invested a great deal of time and resources into improving both areas. A recent program partially funded and designed by the World Bank called Program for Results (PforR) saw massive improvements in key areas of education. This program has included monthly grants for all primary and secondary schools in the country, and it has successfully dispersed funds that have benefitted more than 10.7 million students. The initiative's Student Teacher Enrichment Program (STEP) brought enriched learning causes to 5,459 primary schools and 1,139 secondary schools, successfully offering augmented learning to hundreds of thousands of students. PforR is forecast to cost upwards of USD416 million by the time the program comes to an end in 2018, and The World Bank, the British Government's Department for International Development, and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency will each foot a portion of the cost.
The higher education system in Tanzania has expanded greatly in recent years, with tertiary education systems now numbering more than 200. Tanzania has focused particularly hard on improving math and science education, recognizing that the future of the country will be dictated to a large degree by engineering and science advancements. This emphasis on engineering quality has led some in the government to consider closing underperforming schools, channeling the resources into programs that have better outcomes, according to Times Higher Education. Students will not, however, be left high and dry, as the government plans on relocating them to institutions that can better serve their needs.
OUTCOMES FOR ALL
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Guest Speaker
Hon. Patricia Scotland, Secretary General, Commonwealth of Nations
TBY talks to Hon. Patricia Scotland, Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, on the advantages of being a member of the Commonwealth, the need to celebrate diversity, and Tanzania's war against corruption.
read articleGuest Speaker
Libérat Mfumukeko, Secretary-General, East African Community (EAC)
TBY talks to Libérat Mfumukeko, Secretary-General of the East African Community (EAC), on Tanzania's importance to the EAC, the major achievements of regional integration, and obstacles ahead of a monetary union.
read articleInterview
Raymond P. Mbilinyi, Executive Secretary , Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC)
TBY talks to Raymond P. Mbilinyi, Executive Secretary of Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC), on its work to support the private sector in the country, tackling challenges in the economy, and clamping down on corruption.
read articleReview: Banking
The Quest for Depth
If Tanzania is to meet its 2025 vision of attaining middle-income status, it will need to corral its bank-centric financial and capital markets for greater depth by extending participation and rendering credit more accessible to SMEs, women, and the young to spur economic growth.
read articleInterview
Dr. Baghayo A. Saqware, Commissioner , Insurance, Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA)
TBY talks to Dr. Baghayo A. Saqware, Commissioner of Insurance, Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA), on achieving universal healthcare coverage, the brilliance of microinsurance, and how to partner with public and private entities to increase the industry's penetration.
read articleReview
Legal Thunder
With the stepping down of Minister of Energy and Minerals Sospeter Muhongo in May 2017 over transparency issues and the introduction of three new laws that give the government the right to renegotiate or revoke existing mining and oil and gas rights, private players in the country are unsure of what future lies ahead. On the other hand, project-specific developments bode well for a sector in need of a breakthrough.
read articleInterview
Kapuulya Musomba, Managing Director, Tanzania Petroleum Development Company (TPDC)
TBY talks to Kapuulya Musomba, Acting Managing Director of Tanzania Petroleum Development Company (TPDC), on the planned expansion of the Mtwara-Dar es Salaam natural gas pipeline, entering northern industrial hubs, and empowering nascent industries.
read articleInterview
Marc Den Hartog, Managing Director, Shell/BG Tanzania
TBY talks to Marc Den Hartog, Managing Director of Shell/BG Tanzania, on the critical need for economies of scale, the importance of developing LNG for export, and why renewables must be taken into account in any long-term plan.
read articleInterview
Hon. Charles Mwijage, Minister, Industry, Trade and Investment
TBY talks to Hon. Charles Mwijage, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, on how to reach middle-income status, employing the private sector toward this end, and what sets the country apart from the rest of East Africa.
read articleFocus: Helium
Discoveries of Magna-tude
Despite being the second most common element in the universe, helium is in short supply on earth. With global reserves of the gas steadily dwindling, and demand steadily increasing, the discovery of a whopping 1.53 billion cbm of helium in underground chambers in Tanzania could not have come at a better moment.
read articleInterview
Gilliard W. Ngewe, Director General, Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Agency (SUMATRA)
TBY talks to Gilliard W. Ngewe, Director General of Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Agency (SUMATRA), on transportation budget allocation and cross-sector dialog and partnerships.
read articleInterview
Jared H. Zerbe, CEO, Tanzania International Container Terminal Services Limited (TICTS)
TBY talks to Jared H. Zerbe, CEO of Tanzania International Container Terminal Services Limited (TICTS), on regional trade flows and Tanzania's potential to take a leading role in orchestrating cargo movement.
read articleFocus: Tanzania Strategic Cities Project (TSCP)
East Africa’s “Geneva”
If Rome wasn't built in a day, it is not surprising that Tanzania's project to revamp eight of its largest cities is entering its eighth year of implementation. A release of further funds from the World Bank has given the project a new lease of life.
read articleReview
Lost in the Maize
Agriculture accounts for 30% of Tanzania's GDP, and the sector has experienced above-average output in recent years compared to the rest of the African continent. However, the sector's development is held back by poor rural farming practices and general infrastructure bottlenecks.
read articleInterview
Fred Kafeero, Tanzania Representative, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
TBY talks to Fred Kafeero, Tanzania Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), on the organization's long-term support for Tanzania's development, recent initiatives in agriculture, and financing.
read articleFocus: 2020 Irrigation Target
Reap What You Sow
In 2006, the Tanzanian Ministry of Water and Irrigation set a target for Tanzania's agriculture sector: to irrigate 1 million ha of land by 2020. More than 10 years on and moving ever closer to the deadline, this target has not yet been met, though the first seeds are being sown.
read articleFocus: Southern Circuit Tourism
Hidden Gems
Tourism is frequently described as the jewel in Tanzania's economic crown. In 2016 alone, the industry contributed over USD2 billion in revenues. However, for at least three years, the government has expressed concern that tourism is not well distributed across the country.
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