Tanzania urges early 2028 Form One preparations

Dar es Salaam. President Hassan has directed regional and local government leaders to begin preparations for the 2028 Form One intake, when two cohorts of pupils are expected to enter secondary schools at the same time following changes to the basic education curriculum.

She said ensuring that all eligible pupils secure secondary school places should be the top performance indicator for regional leaders.

“Every region should have information on how many students it has, how many are expected to complete primary education, and how many will need to join Form One. This should be your KPI for receiving and preparing for the students who need to proceed to Form One,” she said.

President Hassan issued the directive yesterday during the swearing-in ceremony of newly appointed Regional Commissioners (RCs) and Regional Administrative Secretaries (RASs) at State Lodge, Tunguu, Zanzibar.

Under the revised curriculum, pupils currently in Standard Six and Standard Seven are expected to complete primary education in 2027 and join Form One together in January 2028.

The reform reduces primary education from seven to six years, resulting in the two cohorts entering secondary education in the same year.

The Government estimates that the combined intake could reach about three million students, compared with between 900,000 and one million pupils who previously joined Form One each year.

The expected increase will require additional classrooms, laboratories, teachers, desks and learning materials.

Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba recently told Parliament that the Government had set aside Sh1 trillion for infrastructure to accommodate the additional students.

President Hassan said preparations should begin early rather than waiting until 2027.

“You must oversee the vision, which has many goals but limited time. We have only four years remaining. Let us use our time properly,” she said.

She also acknowledged financial constraints affecting the implementation of development projects, including delays in releasing funds to local authorities.

“Implementation is being hindered because funds have not been released. What is happening to the 10 percent allocated to local government authorities? Where does the money collected go, and if it is not being collected, why?” she asked.

She urged local leaders to work with available resources while pressing the Ministry of Finance to prioritise funding for councils.

“I know there is a shortage of funds and that the money does not reach you as much as you request. Work with what you receive and plan accordingly. I will speak with the Ministry of Finance so that you are given priority,” she said.

She identified health and education as priority areas.

Traders, investment

President Hassan also directed local authorities to find lasting solutions to challenges facing small traders, particularly those who return to streets after being moved to designated markets.

She said councils should ensure trading areas are accessible and attract customers instead of using force against traders.

“Do not beat them or confiscate their goods. Instead, provide them with proper places to trade. And if they do not have customers, create daladala routes so that customers can reach them,” she said.

She urged councils to identify land and other opportunities that could attract private investment rather than relying solely on Government-funded projects.

Warns RCs against ‘coordination’, kingdoms

President Hassan also warned newly appointed RCs against becoming coordination points for activities outside their official duties, urging them to focus on serving the public.

She said one reason for transferring some officials was to give them experience in different regions and prevent them from becoming too entrenched in one area.

“One reason is to gain experience, but the second is to prevent you from building a kingdom where you are, thinking that it is your home and that the networks you have built there belong to you,” she said.

She cautioned officials against continuing with activities they had been coordinating after being transferred.

“If you were appointed to coordinate certain matters, leave the coordination and serve the people. If you have been assigned areas of coordination, leave them and go and serve the people,” she said.

The remarks come amid political manoeuvring within CCM ahead of the 2030 presidential race, although President Hassan did not refer directly to the race or name any politician.

She said she had also received reports of misconduct involving some RCs and that transfers could give officials an opportunity to correct their behaviour.

“If you know you have bad habits where you came from, where you are going is another opportunity to correct yourself. Serve the people as required,” she said.

President Hassan reminded the RCs that they were public servants who could be deployed to any region.

“You are my army. Go and work. We have done good work where we came from; do not go and destroy it now,” she said.

Land disputes

President Hassan also instructed regional leaders to take responsibility for resolving land disputes, particularly conflicts between farmers and pastoralists.

“Land conflicts in our areas are still continuing. Conflicts between farmers and pastoralists still exist, and there are many complaints. Go and supervise these issues,” she said.

She urged the officials to address complaints before they escalate into wider conflicts.

Prepare for El Niño

President Hassan also directed authorities to prepare for expected El Niño rains by clearing drainage systems and improving waste management.

“The weather experts say we are expecting El Niño rains. Clear the drainage systems and remove rubbish now. Prepare yourselves. Our cities are dirty. Dar es Salaam is dirty; the streets are dirty. Our cities should not be dirty. We must maintain cleanliness,” she said.

She questioned why some councils cited a lack of equipment for poor waste collection when private companies could be contracted to provide the service.