Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s education sector is undergoing one of its most significant transitions in decades, hence, an overhaul to the current law is eminent, according to experts.
From curriculum reforms and the expansion of digital learning to the implementation of the Education and Training Policy 2014 (Edition 2023), the country is reshaping how learning is delivered and governed.
Yet one crucial pillar of the system remains anchored in a different era: the Education Act of 1978.
More than four decades after it was enacted, education stakeholders increasingly argue that the law no longer reflects the realities of a rapidly evolving sector.
As the government reviews the Act, experts say the country now faces a critical choice, whether to amend the law or craft an entirely new one capable of supporting modern education reforms.
Experts argue that, when the Education Act was introduced in 1978, Tanzania’s education system looked very different. Enrolment levels were lower, technology had little role in classrooms and policy frameworks were simpler.
Today, the sector has expanded dramatically. Millions more children attend school, new universities and colleges have been established and digital technologies are gradually entering teaching and learning processes.
However, the legal framework guiding the sector has not kept pace with these changes.
The chairperson of the committee reviewing the Education Act, Prof Saudin Mwakaje, says consultations with stakeholders across the country reveal a strong consensus that the existing law has fundamental limitations.
“The current law has many gaps,” Prof Mwakaje said during a recent stakeholders’ meeting in Dar es Salaam. “Based on the policy reforms we now have and the national development aspirations, many stakeholders believe the country needs a new education law rather than minor amendments.”
He explained that the review process involved consultations with various groups in the education sector, whose feedback indicates that the existing law does not adequately support modern governance, accountability and quality assurance mechanisms.
Aligning law with policy reforms
A major driver behind the review is the adoption of the Education and Training Policy 2014, Edition 2023, which introduced significant reforms across the entire education system.
The updated policy expanded the scope of compulsory education, emphasised inclusive learning, strengthened skills development and highlighted the role of technology in education delivery.
However, experts say policies alone cannot transform the sector without a strong legal framework.
Responding to this, Deputy Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Ms Wanu Hafidh Ameir, acknowledged the challenge, noting that effective implementation of the policy requires supportive legislation.
“We all agree that having a policy is one thing, but implementing it requires the necessary tools,” she said. “One of those tools is a modern and improved Education Act.”
She added that the ministry is also reviewing laws governing institutions under its mandate to ensure that the broader education governance structure supports the policy reforms.
Another key concern raised during consultations relates to accountability and clarity in the management of education institutions.
Stakeholders argue that the current law leaves gaps in defining the responsibilities of institutions and authorities responsible for supervising the education sector.
Such gaps, experts warn, can weaken coordination and oversight at a time when the sector is expanding rapidly.
Education analysts say a modern law should establish stronger governance structures, clearer mandates for regulatory bodies and improved monitoring mechanisms to safeguard quality across the system.
The push for a new law is also driven by the growing emphasis on inclusive education.
Although national policy promotes the principle that no child should be left behind, stakeholders say practical implementation remains uneven.
Advocates argue that stronger legal provisions are needed to guarantee access to education for children with disabilities and those from vulnerable backgrounds.
TEN/MET national coordinator, Ms Martha Makala, said the review process presents an opportunity to embed inclusive education more firmly within the legal framework.
“The review provides an opportunity to build an education system that is inclusive, equitable and capable of addressing challenges such as school dropout and youth unemployment,” she said.
Stakeholders have also proposed that the law formally recognise issues such as compulsory education, school feeding programmes and mechanisms for returning students who drop out back into the education system.
Technology is another area where the 1978 law is increasingly viewed as outdated.
Digital tools have begun transforming education worldwide, Tanzania included.
Education specialists argue that a new Act should provide a legal foundation for online learning, digital classrooms and data systems that support education planning and management.
