Student with textbook, Kasakola Primary School, Mpanda, Katavi, Tanzania. Credit: GPE/Kelley Lynch

Partner since:

Total grant support: US$344,867,227

Grant eligibility:

  • Multiplier
  • System capacity
  • System transformation

Partnership Compacts

Tanzania Mainland

Priority: Improve achievement of foundational skills at the basic education level.

See also: Zanzibar Partnership Compact

Other key documents

Transforming education in Tanzania

Tanzania Mainland

Tanzania has made significant progress in achieving basic education for all, especially with respect to increasing enrollment over the past 10 years. However, the introduction of free basic education in 2016 led to an influx of students into the system, and learning is lagging due to large class sizes.

The government and partners are addressing persistent challenges, including poor school conditions, teacher shortages and teacher effectiveness.

Based on the country's priority reform area – teacher workforce planning and management – GPE is supporting Tanzania to improve teaching and learning, starting with getting the right number of trained teachers deployed to the places where they are needed, namely disadvantaged areas.

A focus on gender equality and inclusion aims to hire more female teachers, improve female participation in education, and support students and teachers with special needs. A focus on the learning environment aims to ensure equitable allocation of teaching and learning materials.

Zanzibar

In 2019, Zanzibar conducted a curriculum needs assessment and found that content required updating to prepare children for life in the 21st century. The government developed a competence-based curriculum (CBC) framework, defining learning outcomes and minimum standards for each level of education.

Zanzibar is also strengthening formative learning assessments to better understand students’ learning needs. GPE is supporting Zanzibar to accelerate reform efforts and achieve results at scale. The government and partners have endorsed improved foundational skills at the basic education level as their priority reform, focusing on reading, writing, arithmetic and creativity.

Aligned and harmonized resources support interventions, including implementing CBC at the pre-primary and primary education levels, institutionalizing teachers’ continuous professional development, and mainstreaming gender equality in education policy planning and implementation.

Result story

Tanzania: Youth advocacy brings meals to a rural school

  • Education Out Loud supports civil society organizations in Tanzania that advocate for government policy to prioritize school feeding programs.
  • Joshua Mpossa and other young Tanzanians received training on effective advocacy to identify and address education challenges in their communities. This led Joshua to advocate for school meals to be served at his former primary school.
  • In 2023, thanks to Joshua's advocacy, the school committee, parents, teachers and other community members collectively established a school feeding program, which has decreased students' absences from school.

Key data for Tanzania Mainland

45%

out-of-school rate for children of lower-secondary school age

60%

of children start learning one year before entering primary school

17%

of government expenditure on education

Key Data for Zanzibar

45%

out-of-school rate for children of lower-secondary school age

60%

of children start learning one year before entering primary school

19%

of government expenditure on education

Grants

(data as of October 07, 2024)

Grants - Mainland

 
  • Type: Program development

    Years: 2024 - 2025

    Allocation: US$125,409

    Utilization: 0

    Grant agent: SIDA

  • Type: System transformation

    Years: 2023 - 2027

    Allocation: US$84,664,800

    Utilization: US$8,236,383

    Grant agent: SIDA

  • Type: System capacity

    Years: 2023 - 2025

    Allocation: US$3,899,000

    Utilization: US$521,200

    Grant agent: UNICEF

Grants - Zanzibar

 
  • Type: System transformation

    Years: 2024 - 2027

    Allocation: US$11,759,000

    Utilization: 0

    Grant agent: SIDA

  • Type: System capacity

    Years: 2024 - 2026

    Allocation: US$614,782

    Utilization: 0

    Grant agent: SIDA

  • Type: System capacity

    Years: 2022 - 2025

    Allocation: US$657,968

    Utilization: 0

    Grant agent: SIDA

Civil society engagement

As part of its investment in civil society advocacy and social accountability efforts, GPE’s Education Out Loud fund is supporting:

  • The Tanzania Education Network/Mtandao wa Elimu Tanzania (TEN/MET) for the 2020-2023 period. This builds on previous support from the Civil Society Education Fund (CSEF).
  • Addressing the learning crisis through system strengthening led by Global Integrity for the 2021-2024 period.
  • Pamodzi for Inclusive Education in South-East Africa (PIESEA) led by Rays of Hope for the 2021-2024 period.

Learn more

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