The Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development, East Africa (AKU-IED, EA), brought together more than 100 representatives from government, academia and civil society to discuss the challenges facing Tanzania’s education system and strategies for its improvement.
The two-day conference, titled “Education Challenges and Opportunities in Tanzania in the Era of Globalization,” was held at the Morena Hotel in Dodoma and was attended by educators, the Ministry of Education,
Prof. Joe Lugalla and Hon. George Boniface Simbachawene talk to the media at the event
Science and Technology and Vocational Training, the President’s Office of Regional Administration and Local Government, non-governmental organizations, scholars, multilateral and bilateral development partners, students, parents’ associations and gender and equity specialists, as well as organizations representing marginalized groups such as the disabled.
Tanzania’s education system has made substantial strides over the last decade, yet still faces an array of challenges. Overcoming those challenges will be critical to accelerating the country’s development, as a quality education helps people to identify effective and sustainable strategies for improving their lives and those of their fellow citizens.
“We all need to work together to identify educational challenges and to solve them,” said Professor Joe Lugalla, Director of AKU-IED, EA. “That means seeking insights from a wide range of stakeholders, which is why we brought together such a diverse group of participants for this conference. But this gathering is only the start – we need to stand together, think together, deliberate together and finally implement together.”
“Since independence, Tanzania has made enormous progress in the field of education despite the challenges that tend to affect the quality of our education,” said Hon. George Boniface Simbachawene, Minister, President’s Office of Regional Administration and Local Government during his opening speech. “I therefore commend the Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development for taking center-stage in making education in Tanzania a priority. Bringing stakeholders together through this conference is the first step, and what we do as policy makers thereafter should hopefully propel us towards solutions and the best existing opportunities that can be exploited in order to improve the quality of education in Tanzania. Together, we can do this.”
Conference participants addressed a wide range of issues, including the role of the public and private sectors in education, the importance of higher education and research in shaping education, the influence of policymaking, technology in education, early child development, gender equity and the education of special needs students.