Mr. Michel Toto, UNESCO Representative to Tanzania
By Alfred Zacharia
UNESCO has taken a leading role in supporting Tanzania’s efforts to improve digital skills among teachers through the development of updated ICT Competence Standards for 2025.
The new standards were presented during a two-day Stakeholders’ Validation Workshop held in Dar es Salaam, bringing together government officials, civil society groups, development partners, and education experts to review and finalize the framework.
The initiative is part of the UNESCO-Korean Funds-in-Trust (KFIT) Phase III Project, which supports the use of information and communication technology (ICT) to improve education across Africa.
“This workshop reflects our shared commitment to strengthening the role of ICT in transforming education in Tanzania,” said Mr. Michel Toto, UNESCO Representative to Tanzania.
He said the updated framework is based on both local and international policies. It reflects the country’s 2014 Education and Training Policy (2023 Edition), the revised teacher training curricula, and UNESCO’s 2018 Global ICT Competency Framework for Teachers.
Mr. Toto added that the new standards outline 15 core digital skills that every Tanzanian teacher should have. These are grouped into three levels; Knowledge Acquisition, Knowledge Deepening, and Knowledge Creation.
Together, they cover areas such as classroom teaching, school management, and professional development.
“The document has been elaborated into 82 specific objectives and offers recommendations for teacher educators and training developers on designing interventions to achieve each objective,” he said.
He also praised the cooperation between key government institutions, including the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST), the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, the President's Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE), and UNESCO.
“A dedicated national team from these institutions worked collaboratively to bring us to this important stage of stakeholder validation,” said Mr. Toto.
The workshop was officially opened by Abdul Mnonya Maulid, Director of Primary Education, in the Ministry of Education, on behalf of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Carolyne Nombo, who emphasized the importance of using technology to improve teaching in Tanzania.
“This workshop marks a significant milestone in our collective efforts to transform education in Tanzania through technology,” he said.
He explained that the new standards build on the 2015 version, with updated content that reflects changes in both teaching practices and technology use.
Mr. Mnonya noted that Tanzania had made international commitments during the 2022 Transforming Education Summit in New York to train teachers in digital skills and develop digital learning platforms.
“This framework is part of fulfilling that promise,” he said.
He urged participants to give their views so the framework can serve teachers across the country, regardless of where they live or work.
“The true strength of any framework lies not only in its design but also in its collective ownership,” he said.
He added that “Your expertise, experiences, and perspectives will help ensure that the revised framework is not only technically sound but also relevant, inclusive, and practically applicable.”
Mr. Mnonya added that the government is committed to ensuring teachers are ready for the future of education.
“I call upon other stakeholders to continue putting their efforts in ICT to capacitate our teachers to facilitate achievement of learning outcomes,” he said.
Once finalized, the 2025 Tanzania ICT Competence Standards for Teachers will act as a guide for teacher training programs and digital content development across the country.
The goal is to ensure all teachers, whether in urban or rural areas, are equipped to use technology to enhance learning, improve administration, and grow professionally.
