In 2020, GPE allocated the government of Tanzania a US$15.16 million grant to help the country mitigate the impacts of school closure while also building the resilience of the education system. With children returning to school, efforts are now focused on ensuring the well-being, safety and continued learning of all students, including children with disabilities.

Providing psychosocial support to students

The psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on students has been high, causing major disruptions to their daily lives, and triggering feelings of anxiety and fear. Now more than ever, students should be able to rely on their teachers to help them find a new normal and support their well-being and mental health.

Therefore, GPE is partnering with the government of Tanzania to ensure teachers are adequately prepared with the necessary tools to help students overcome the emotional challenges posed by COVID-19.

To achieve this goal, GPE has been funding the production and distribution of simplified guidebooks for teachers to be used as counseling tools. These guidebooks include:

• Methods for identifying students requiring counseling
• Techniques for providing guidance and counseling to students in primary and secondary levels
• Qualities and skills needed for school counseling teachers
• Best practices in providing child counseling
• Guidance and counseling infrastructure requirements
• COVID-19 and other pandemic precautions.

In addition, the guidebooks include instructional material for head teachers, G&C teachers, ward/district level officers and school quality assurers to meet the students’ mental health needs at school.

New E-assessment platform

In parallel, GPE is supporting the establishment of a digital assessment platform called E-Assessment for both students and teachers in primary and secondary schools.

This platform will allow students to self-assess on various topics of the curriculum, as well as both students and teachers to monitor progress. The E-Assessment platform could have a big impact by serving as the basis for future expansion of online or tablet-based assessment.

“Generally the E-Assessment system is expected to allow assessment of students’ level of understanding on different subjects as well as capability to answer questions. More so it allows teachers to practice questions preparation. This is important feedback to the examinations Council as well to curriculum developers. The same allows teachers to set (items) questions and stock in the system, which students will answer and post and receive feedback from teachers on the answers. The items support student’s revision through the question and answers” said Dr. Joseph Mboe, Director of ICT National Examinations Counsel (NECTA).

GPE is also supporting efforts to improve school water and sanitation facilities adapted to the needs of children with disabilities . For more information about the progress that has been achieved to date read the blog: “Tanzania: New sanitation facilities help ensure children’s safe return to school.”

This blog was written in collaboration with Sida.