[PRESSWIRE] Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania – 2 February 2026 — The Tanzanian government has launched a five-year, evidence-based strategy to strengthen reading, writing and arithmetic among young children, aligning national education reforms with priorities championed by the World Bank, UNICEF and the Global Partnership for Education.
The Scientific Strategic Framework for Foundational Reading, Writing and Arithmetic Skills, commonly referred to as the 3Rs, targets pre-primary learners and pupils in the first two years of primary school, focusing on teaching quality, teacher development and access to learning materials.
Education Minister Adolf Mkenda said the framework reflects a shift towards scientifically grounded education reform, responding to growing international evidence that weak foundational skills undermine learning outcomes, equity and long-term economic productivity.
Global development partners have increasingly emphasised early-grade literacy and numeracy as among the most cost-effective education investments, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where learning gaps can persist into adulthood.
According to Said Ally Mohammed, Executive Secretary of the National Examinations Council of Tanzania (NECTA), the framework focuses on children aged five to seven, a critical developmental stage for cognitive, social and emotional learning.
—If foundational skills are not secured at this stage, learners face persistent difficulties throughout their education cycle,— he said, noting that the framework is aligned with the national curriculum requirement that pupils should master reading, writing and arithmetic by Standard Three.
The strategy draws on nationwide assessments conducted since 2015, which evaluated early-grade learning outcomes, teacher availability and teaching materials across district councils. The findings showed that between 67 and 87 per cent of pupils demonstrated basic reading and writing competence, informing the design of the new approach.
Education officials said capacity-building has already been scaled up, with more than 43,000 teachers trained in foundational skills over the past three years, strengthening classroom delivery and assessment practices.
Development partners including UNICEF and the Global Partnership for Education have repeatedly highlighted the importance of teacher training, parental engagement and regular assessment in improving foundational learning outcomes, particularly for disadvantaged and rural children.
The government has also called on parents, communities and education stakeholders to support early learning, while urging renewed attention to mathematics skills as economies become increasingly driven by science, technology and digital innovation.
The framework strengthens alignment between national education reform and global development agendas, including Sustainable Development Goal 4 on inclusive and quality education, while laying the groundwork for future workforce skills and productivity.
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IMG_9002 – Education Minister, Adolf Mkenda
IMG_9007 – Said Ally Mohammed, Executive Secretary of the National Examinations Council of Tanzania (NECTA)
-———— Tanzania has launched a five-year Scientific Strategic Framework for Foundational Reading, Writing and Arithmetic (3Rs) targeting pre-primary learners and pupils in Standards I—II.
-———— The framework is evidence-based, drawing on nationwide early-grade assessments conducted since 2015 that examined literacy, numeracy, teacher availability and learning materials across district councils.
-———— The strategy aligns Tanzania—s education reforms with global priorities promoted by World Bank, UNICEF and the Global Partnership for Education, which identify early literacy and numeracy as high-impact, cost-effective investments.
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