DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania: Tanzania has unveiled a new strategy aimed at strengthening foundational learning, urging schools to deliver measurable gains in reading, writing and arithmetic rather than producing policy documents with limited impact.
Speaking on Thursday (January 29, 2026) during the launch of the Scientific Strategic Framework for Foundational Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, known as the 3Rs, President Samia Suluhu Hassan said the success of the plan must be judged by what children can actually do in classrooms and communities.
“The changes must be seen in children, not in written reports,” she said, calling for closer coordination between education authorities and local government to ensure the strategy translates into real learning outcomes.
The five-year framework targets pre-primary pupils and children in the first two years of primary school, a stage widely recognised by global education experts as critical for long-term cognitive development, workforce readiness and productivity.
International development partners, including the World Bank, UNICEF and the Global Partnership for Education, have increasingly prioritised early-grade literacy and numeracy as a foundation for inclusive growth, particularly in low- and middle-income countries facing skills shortages in manufacturing, technology and services.
President Samia said early and regular assessments would be central to the strategy, allowing schools to identify learning gaps before they become entrenched.
The strategy aligns with continental and global education commitments, including the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Four on quality education.
The government has expanded education infrastructure, increasing primary school classrooms from 151,315 in 2021 to 184,550 in 2025, while secondary school classrooms rose from 64,204 to 101,473. More than 6,000 new teachers have been recruited, with further appointments expected.
President Samia called on parents, communities and development partners to support early learning, saying it was essential for building a competitive, knowledge-based economy.
