DAR ES SALAAM: FOR many years, thousands of pupils in rural Tanzania began their school day before sunrise, walking several kilometres to reach the nearest classroom.
In some villages, children studied under trees or squeezed into overcrowded classrooms as schools struggled to accommodate growing enrolment.
Today, that picture is gradually changing. Across the country, new schools, improved classrooms and expanded learning facilities are transforming the education landscape as the government continues investing in infrastructure to improve access to quality education.
The transformation has been driven by the implementation of Vision 2025 under its three Five-Year Development Plans (FYDPs), each of which, placed education at the centre of national development.
The First Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP I: 2011/12– 2015/16) sought to support economic growth by building a skilled and educated population capable of contributing to agriculture, infrastructure and other productive sectors.
To achieve this, the government expanded access to education through the construction of schools and classrooms, recruitment and training of teachers, improvement of education quality, strengthening of vocational and technical education and increased investment in science, mathematics and information and communication technology (ICT).
The plan significantly expanded access to education while establishing a stronger institutional foundation for subsequent reforms.
The principal achievement of FYDP I was the significant expansion of access to education through increased investment in schools, classrooms, teachers and learning resources, while establishing a strong foundation for subsequent reforms aimed at improving education quality and developing a skilled workforce.
Key achievements include expanded access to education through the construction of new schools and classrooms, particularly in underserved areas, increased teacher recruitment and training, helping to address shortages and improve the pupilteacher ratio and improved education infrastructure, including classrooms and other learning facilities, creating a better environment for teaching and learning.
Others include strengthened technical and vocational education and training (TVET) to develop skills needed for economic growth, greater investment in science, mathematics and ICT education, laying the groundwork for a more skilled workforce and established a stronger institutional framework for implementing subsequent education reforms under FYDP II and FYDP III.
Despite its achievements, FYDP I faced challenges including rapid growth in student enrolment that outpaced infrastructure development, shortages of qualified teachers, inadequate learning facilities, funding constraints, regional disparities in access to education, and concerns over education quality.
These challenges informed the reforms and increased investments introduced under the Second Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP II).
The Second Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP II: 2016/17–2020/21) shifted the focus towards industrialisation and economic transformation, recognising that both depended on a highly skilled workforce.
During this period, the government strengthened technical and vocational education and training (TVET), promoted science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, improved teacher competence, increased support for universities and research institutions, encouraged innovation and entrepreneurship and aligned education programmes with labour market demands.
The plan marked a transition from expanding access to developing skills relevant to industrial growth.
The Second Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP II: 2016/17– 2020/21) shifted the focus of the education sector from expanding access to developing the skills needed to support Tanzania’s industrialisation agenda.
Its major successes included expansion of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) to equip young people with practical skills for employment and industry, greater emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through increased investment in laboratories, science teachers and learning resources and improved teacher training and professional development, enhancing the quality of teaching and learning.
The plan also placed emphasis in continued expansion of secondary education infrastructure, including classrooms, laboratories, dormitories and teachers’ houses, increased enrolment at secondary and tertiary levels, creating more opportunities for young people to pursue higher education and skills training and strengthened higher education and research, with greater support for universities and research institutions to promote innovation.
Closer alignment of education with labour market needs, ensuring that curricula and training programmes better matched the skills required by industry was also strengthened as well as improved transition from primary to secondary education, supported by continued investment in wardlevel secondary schools.
Much as the FYDP II recorded significant progress in education, but several challenges affected implementation and limited the achievement of some targets.
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The main challenges included limited financial resources. Some planned education and infrastructure projects experienced delays because of funding constraints and competing national priorities.
That plan also experienced teacher shortages and uneven distribution.
Although recruitment continued, many rural and underserved areas still lacked qualified teachers, especially in science, mathematics and technical subjects.
Skills mismatch was also noted and despite efforts to align education with industrialisation, employers continued to report gaps between graduates’ skills and labour market needs. Inadequate infrastructure also stifled many schools.
They faced shortages of classrooms, laboratories, libraries, workshops, dormitories and teachers’ houses, particularly as enrolment continued to grow.
Quality of education also remained a challenge whereby learning outcomes remained uneven due to overcrowded classrooms, insufficient teaching and learning materials and varying teacher competence.
This was compounded by slow integration of ICT. While ICT was promoted, many schools lacked reliable electricity, internet connectivity, computers and digital learning resources.
Other challenge was regional disparities, where significant differences persisted between urban and rural areas in terms of infrastructure, teacher availability and access to quality education.
The final year of FYDP II coincided with the global Covid-19 pandemic, which disrupted teaching and learning, slowed implementation of some projects and highlighted the limited capacity for digital and distance learning.
The Third Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP III: 2021/22–2025/26) has focused on enhancing competitiveness, innovation and human development in a modern economy.
Its priorities include curriculum reforms aligned with labour market needs, expansion of digital learning and ICT integration, promotion of competency-based education, strengthening research and innovation systems, improving teacher welfare and management and expanding access to quality, inclusive education.
These reforms were intended to ensure that education contributes directly to productivity, employment creation and sustainable national development.
Through coordinated investments by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the Prime Minister’s Office–Regional Administration and Local Government (PMO-RALG), thousands of new schools have been built while existing facilities have been rehabilitated, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan has repeatedly emphasised that improving school infrastructure remains a national priority, describing safe and conducive learning environments as essential to the country’s long-term development.
Government reports indicate that between 2021 and 2025, a total of 2,441 schools were constructed nationwide, including 1,399 primary schools and 1,042 secondary schools.
Many were built in remote and rapidly growing communities where pupils previously travelled long distances or studied in overcrowded classrooms.
Presenting the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology’s 2026/27 budget estimates, Minister for Education, Science and Technology Professor Adolf Mkenda said the government continues expanding opportunities in pre-primary, primary, secondary and teacher education in collaboration with various stakeholders.
He said 671 education institutions were registered during the period, including 23 non-government pre-primary schools, 401 pre-primary and primary schools, 245 secondary schools and two teacher training colleges.
The minister also said that 12,554 students enrolled in teacher training colleges, including 7,375 women and 5,179 men. Of these, 7,157 joined government colleges while 5,397 enrolled in privately owned institutions.
Prof Mkenda said the government’s focus extends beyond increasing classroom numbers to improving the overall quality of learning facilities.
“We are expanding infrastructure while implementing curriculum reforms to ensure better learning outcomes for our students,” he said.
Further expansion has been undertaken ahead of the 2026 academic year.
During the 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years, the government constructed 277 new schools, 2,429 primary school classrooms, 930 pre-primary classrooms and 64 classrooms for learners with special needs.
More than 9,388 pit latrines were also built to improve sanitation and hygiene in schools.
The projects were financed through more than 196.7bn/- allocated during the two financial years.
Additional investments include six dormitories in secondary schools, 128 classrooms, a dining hall, a teacher’s house and the rehabilitation of two secondary schools.
According to Prof Mkenda, these projects will help reduce classroom congestion and improve learning conditions.
The government has also continued strengthening infrastructure at the Institute of Adult Education.
Construction of three model centres under the Integrated Programme for Out-of-School Adolescents (IPOSA) is progressing well, with completion rates reaching 96 per cent in Manyara, 90 per cent in Shinyanga and 75 per cent in Tanga.
A hostel accommodating 60 students has been completed at the Institute’s Morogoro campus, while construction of another 80- bed hostel in Iringa has reached 60 per cent completion.
Construction has also started on hostels accommodating 80 students each in Katavi, Simiyu and Ruvuma regions, with work currently at about 10 per cent completion.
Meanwhile, construction of the Mwanza Regional Library, with capacity for 1,000 users, is continuing, while rehabilitation of regional libraries in Mara, Mtwara and Tanga has reached an average of 78 per cent completion.
Alongside infrastructure expansion, the government has strengthened quality assurance in schools and teacher training colleges.
Prof Mkenda said comprehensive evaluations were conducted in 8,067 institutions, exceeding the target of 6,962.
The institutions included 5,700 pre-primary and primary schools, 2,317 secondary schools, 19 teacher training colleges, 22 non-formal education centres and nine Folk Development Colleges.
Institutions requiring improvement received professional guidance and recommendations, while follow-up monitoring was conducted in 689 institutions to assess implementation of previous recommendations.
To improve supervision, the government also supplied three vehicles to school quality assurance officers in Missenyi, Mbarali and Namtumbo councils.
Beyond classrooms and laboratories, investments have also been directed towards improving water and sanitation services.
In 2025, the government announced that reliable water services had been extended to more than 25,800 schools nationwide, including 20,509 primary schools.
The interventions include piped water systems, boreholes and rainwater harvesting technologies.
Education officials say improved access to clean water helps reduce absenteeism associated with waterborne diseases while supporting menstrual hygiene management for girls, contributing to better school attendance and retention.
Regional investments have also strengthened secondary education infrastructure.
In Manyara Region, a 28.4bn/- investment under the Secondary Education Quality Improvement Project (SEQUIP) financed the construction of 22 ward-level secondary schools together with science laboratories, libraries, dormitories, teachers’ houses and sanitation facilities.
Regional authorities say the projects have eased congestion in existing schools while reducing travel distances for students in rural communities.
Local Government Authorities (LGAs) continue to play a central role by overseeing construction, ensuring value for money and coordinating community participation.
Through fiscal transfers and development grants, councils supervise the construction of classrooms, administration blocks, teachers’ houses and laboratories.
Teacher housing remains a key component of the government’s infrastructure strategy, particularly in remote areas were attracting and retaining qualified teachers has long been difficult.
Infrastructure development also supports the Education and Training Policy, which emphasises universal access, equity and quality education.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), approximately 1,950,783 children are projected to enrol in Standard One in 2026, with almost equal numbers of boys and girls.
The expansion of schools and classrooms has helped accommodate growing enrolment, particularly in rural areas where rapid population growth previously placed considerable pressure on existing facilities. Secondary school enrolment has also continued to rise.
For the 2026 academic year, 937,581 students were selected to join Form One in government secondary schools, including 3,228 learners with special needs placed in appropriate institutions.
Education authorities attribute the improved transition rate from primary to secondary education largely to the expansion of ward-level secondary schools and continued investment in education infrastructure.
As Tanzania continues investing in school infrastructure, the improvements taking place across the country are laying a stronger foundation for future generations.
For many pupils who once studied under trees, shared overcrowded classrooms or walked long distances to school, the new buildings rising in their communities represent more than bricks and mortar.
They represent expanded opportunities, improved learning conditions and greater hope for the future.