[PRESSWIRE] Tanzania – s Samia Orchestrates Education Reforms with New Early-learning Drive —
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania — 2 February, 2026
Tanzania has launched a new strategy aimed at fixing weak 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 in their 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, especially 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 in reading, writing and arithmetic before they become entrenched.
—Early evaluations will help us detect difficulties in foundational skills and address them before they become permanent obstacles to learning,— she said.
The strategy aligns with continental and global commitments, including the African Union—s Agenda 2063 education framework and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Four on quality education, which calls for inclusive and equitable learning opportunities.
Education officials said the framework also supports longer-term economic ambitions by strengthening the skills pipeline needed for industrialisation, digital transformation and private-sector-led growth.
President Samia said technology would play a key role in delivering the reforms, with an emphasis on locally developed digital tools to support teaching, assessment and learning management.
The government has expanded education infrastructure in recent years, increasing the number of primary school classrooms from 151,315 in 2021 to 184,550 in 2025, while secondary school classrooms rose from 64,204 to 101,473, according to official figures.
Teacher recruitment has also been stepped up, with more than 6,000 new teachers hired and additional appointments expected to be completed in the coming weeks. Officials said further training would focus on equipping teachers with the skills needed to deliver the 3Rs framework effectively.
President Samia urged parents, communities and development partners to support the reforms, saying early investment in foundational learning was essential for building a competitive, knowledge-based economy.
—Any nation that wants a competitive economy must invest early in foundational learning,— she said.
-———— Tanzania has launched the Scientific Strategic Framework for Foundational Reading, Writing and Arithmetic (3Rs), a five-year national strategy targeting pre-primary and lower primary education.
-———— The framework focuses on measurable learning outcomes in early-grade literacy and numeracy, rather than policy compliance alone.
-———— The strategy aligns with African Union Agenda 2063 and UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education), and is supported by international development partners including the World Bank, UNICEF and the Global Partnership for Education.
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