Programmes and projects [on-going and those which will be established by MOEC under sector wide approach (Ed-SDP] will be geared towards realising the Ministry’s Vision and Mission. The Government will have the role of creating an enabling environment and through partnership it is expected that effective strategies will be put in place in order to improve and expand the provision of education to children who have not been reached. For that to happen in the 21st century there is need to focus on certain key areas in each thematic area as shown here below:

Policy directions for the future of ECCD, as it is well reflected in ED-SDP, will involve and co-operate with parents, local communities, NGOs/CBOs and other private institutions in strengthening expansionary measures to meet pre-school and primary enrolments while at the same time ensuring that quality is maintained. Moreover, there is a need to build capacity in ECCD personnel at all levels, training pre-primary school teachers and improving networking and co-ordination. This will entail effective monitoring and evaluation of programmes and establishment of management for skill acquisition. Government shall set and establish standard infrastructure and facilities (classrooms, TRCs, CBRC etc) and secure maximum use of existing classroom. There are more than 12000 primary schools, 35 TTCs, and other learning institutions in the Country. To enhance equity and access at this level, the GoT will take an active lead in the delivery of pre-primary education in a community based venture which may call for introduction of other modes of delivery and community mobilization through the Publicity and Mass Communication Programme based in MOEC in order to improve inter-sectoral collaboration and partnership. With regard to current assessment and formulation of strategies for the future concerning various forms of education and training, there is a great need to systematize and build the capacity of statistical information especially in the areas of ECCD, Adult literacy and NFE.

Policy direction for the future of Universal Access to primary education is to ensure that no child is deprived of education for lack of qualified teachers, learning materials or adequate space, no child is subjected to disparities of access to primary education arising from gender, age, income, family cultural or ethnic differences and geographical remoteness. Within the Framework of Ed-SDP, the government plans to improve the quality and relevance of primary education through on going programmes (BMU, DBSPE, WSD, CBEG, CEF, IPEC ) by intensifying efforts to improve the production and distribution of Textbooks, library books, capacity building for teachers in using books (BMU); creating in districts a system of Teachers Resource centres and school clusters to carry out in-service training and provide professional support for teachers and promote the use of child centered teaching methods (DBSPE & WSD); to improve school enrolment, standards and reduce dropout rate resulting from child labour (IPEC). Government intends to bring about positive change in the attitude of parents and the community at large by ensuring that the education the children receive not only prepares them for transition to the next level of the system but also a great extent, provides them with skills needed in the society; skills that meet the demands of the job-market as employees or as self-employed persons. MOEC will revisit all programmes under Ed-SDP with a view of making them child learner-centered.

As we enter the 21st Century, there is need to refocus seriously on primary education, which, to the majority of children is terminal. adult literacy and NFE. There is need for a more comprehensive legislation by harmonizing and synchronizing existing laws and legislating for compulsory Universal Primary Education (UPE) policy which formally recognizes flexible alternative and complementary approaches which bring in diversity to help reach the out-of-school children: These include multi-grade teaching to improve utilization of school facilities in small rural schools, double shifting in cases where children are over crowded; expansion of COBET to clear the back -log in order to achieve universality and allow the unfortunate young mothers to continue their education after they have delivered. Furthermore, the GoT policy direction is to strengthen co-operation and collaboration, among the various providers of education for example, by giving tax rebates and other incentives to individual private investors and rationalize the cost of financing primary education.

As a measure to intensify adult literacy and NFE to achieve EFA goals, the policy direction will be to establish the Act of the Board of Adult Education and Inter-sectoral Committee made of top executives from the Ministries of Education and Culture, Community Development, Women Affairs and Children, Labour, Youth and Social Welfare, Health, Agriculture and Livestock, Regional Administration and Local Governments, Prime Minister and Vice President’s Office, higher learning institutions (UDSM, Open University) and NGOs/CBOs providing basic education. Other measures will include comprehensive legislation on adult literacy and NFE and also revitalization of adult education committees at district, ward and centre levels. One major decision which has to be taken is to re-establish the Directorate of Adult Education to ensure effective policy formulation, co-ordination, monitoring and evaluation of Adult Literacy and NFE programmes in the country.

Other important issues to be addressed include expansion of the Integrated Community Based Adult Education Programme (ICBAE) from the current four districts to 113 districts by 2015 which creates an atmosphere of merging theory and practice. ICBAE empowers participants and the community to make decisions plan, and evaluate their programmes. Establishment of credit schemes and self help income generating projects is another component of ICBAE.

The effective implementation of adult literacy and NFE will be enhanced, through strengthening partnership with other intergovernmental partners and other agencies in the design and implementation of a National Programme. The decision - makers and implementors at all levels (headquarters, districts, wards, institutions/centres and adult education). Income-generating group leaders and facilitators will be trained to improve their capacity to manage the programme

The government in collaboration with other providers of literacy and NFE plans to provide professionally produced packs of materials (training manuals) to support the capacity building cascade model which incorporate practical and participatory methodologies especially the REFLECT. Large scale ICBAE cannot be achieved if teachers/facilitators identify only with their own centres, districts with only their districts, and the state with its own state.

The policy direction will be to ensure that teachers are similarly concerned with other teachers, districts with other districts and the country with other countries. Through study tours within and outside the country, all levels use the success of others to improve their Adult Literacy and NFE.

The Government will also employ by phases a permanent teacher ( Grade A) in every centre who will be re-oriented in adult education participatory and community based methodologies required to be used in adult literacy and NFE centres and development of relevant materials which can contribute to the creation of literacy alleviation of poverty in particular through Community Based Education Approach (ICBAE) for the empowerment of women, marginalized youth and mobile communities agencies, advocacy through media channels, administration and during International Literacy Day Celebrations and provision of out- of- school education to those who do not join the formal system or drop-outs from same.

The Government through IAE will seek assistance from development partners to revitalize or establish a number of campaigns which were launched in the 1970s including "the choice is Yours" (Uchaguzi ni Wako-1970) which emphasized participatory democracy in decision making and development; "A Human being is Health" (Mtu ni Afya, 1973) which emphasized the need to observe good health habits for prolonged Life Span. Other campaigns are "Agriculture for Life" (Kilimo cha Kufa na Kupona 1974) and AIDS is death (Ukimwi ni Kifo). The IAE will develop new primers for all these and other campaigns and use as teaching learning materials for adults. The campaigns will also be useful to improve the EFA thematic are, Education for Better Living. The Government in partnership with CBOs/NGOs and other institutions providing special education will expand and diversity education and training for the handicapped in order to enhance employment opportunities.

The Ministries of Education and Culture, Community Development, Women Affairs and Children, Health, Agriculture and Labour, Youth and Social Welfare in collaboration with NGOs/CBOs and other private institutions providing training in essential skills plan to achieve EFA goals through: strengthening of education levy to enhance financial sustainability in the training institutions, establishment of linkage between technical institutes by upgrading their training programmes to match the needs of self employment, industries and the economy as a whole. There is also a need to improve technical teacher training programme, review policies on technical education and training, upgrade staff to enhance productivity and strengthen youth and other disadvantaged groups’ participation through community mobilisation, parental education and advocacy on various courses on vocational education.

The primary school examinations which are administered at the the end of seven- year primary education cycle in mainland Tanzania aims at assessing pupils’ acquisition of knowledge, abilities and skills in Mathematics, General Knowledge and language. As a selection examination, PSLE results are used in a selection of a tiny minority of pupils for the secondary education phase. The policy direction towards the improvement of learning achievement will be to establish effective local monitoring involving grassroots participation, strong institutions and a local support system, TRCs/CBRCs and creating a proper learning environment.

The Government will collaborate with other education stakeholders to improve academic and professional qualifications of teachers. To make the curriculum more relevant it will be localised and benchmark of learning achievement will be set in relation to the environment of the children. SAQMEQ and MLA tests will be adopted countrywide and administered to relevant grades to measure their learning achievement.

Reading, writing and basic mathematics shall remain the essential foundations for further learning. Every standard IV must be supported to be able to read and write and do simple basic mathematics. The key to unlocking learning in all subjects is reading. Following research results, children who are unable to read by the end of third grade are more likely to become school dropouts. Promotion to standard V should be purely on merit. Appropriate testing instruments will be developed for that purpose.

The Government plans that the teaching of English in primary schools is strengthened in standard 1 to 1V so that at standard V, pupils start using English as a medium of instruction. Teaching of English will continue throughout secondary school.