Tanzania will require TZS 1.77 trillion to expand education infrastructure and services to accommodate more than three million students expected to join Form One in 2028, Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba has told Parliament.
Presenting the review of government performance and budget estimates for the Prime Minister’s Office and Parliament for the 2026/27 financial year in Dodoma on Wednesday, Dr Nchemba said the anticipated rise in student enrolment will require significant investments in classrooms, laboratories, sanitation facilities, teachers and learning materials.
Government projections show that 3,021,177 students are expected to enrol in Form One in 2028, driven by reforms under the Education and Training Policy of 2014 (2023 Edition) and improvements in the national curriculum.
“To accommodate these students, the government will require TZS 1.77 trillion for the construction of 23,226 classrooms, 46,632 toilet facilities and 9,366 laboratories, as well as the recruitment of 40,192 teachers,” Dr Nchemba said.
The funds will also support the provision of textbooks, operational grants for schools and subsidies for national examinations and assessments.
According to the Prime Minister, the investments are part of broader efforts to strengthen the education sector and produce a skilled workforce capable of competing in both domestic and international labour markets.
He said the reforms are aligned with national development strategies aimed at equipping young Tanzanians with practical skills and knowledge that can enhance employability and entrepreneurship.
Dr Nchemba also directed Regional Commissioners to closely supervise preparations for the expected influx of students as the country implements ten years of compulsory basic education.
“When we say compulsory education is ten years, it means that while we previously aimed to have a secondary school in every ward, we are now moving toward ensuring there is a secondary school in every village. We must therefore prepare infrastructure and other necessary requirements to implement this plan,” he said.
To support the preparations, the government has already allocated TZS 139.28 billion from local government revenues in the upcoming financial year for the construction of 4,193 classrooms and 13,943 toilet facilities.
In addition, the central government has set aside TZS 7 billion for the construction of 233 laboratories.
The Prime Minister also highlighted progress in expanding vocational-oriented secondary education under the improved curriculum.
He said the government has allocated TZS 88.84 billion for the construction of 103 vocational secondary schools, with 27 schools already completed and operational.
As of February 2026, 158 ordinary-level secondary schools were implementing the vocational stream, compared with 41 schools when the programme was introduced in 2024.
To improve the teaching of vocational subjects, the government has sent 150 teachers to India for short-term training, while 156,948 teachers out of 172,609 from 17,111 primary schools have participated in continuous professional development programmes.
Dr Nchemba said the government continues to expand school infrastructure across the country.
Currently, 277 new primary schools are under construction, while additional facilities have been developed in existing schools, including 5,439 classrooms, seven administration buildings, 21 dormitories, 26 hostels, 69 teachers’ houses, 46 laboratories, five dining halls and 70 teachers’ resource centres.
He added that rehabilitation works have been completed in 228 primary schools, alongside the completion of community-initiated projects, including 132 secondary school dormitories, 697 primary school classrooms and 175 secondary school laboratories.
The Prime Minister commended President Samia Suluhu Hassan for strengthening science education through the provision of laboratory equipment to 231 secondary schools, including 26 newly established national girls’ science schools.
Meanwhile, the government continues to implement the Free Education Programme, which supports students from pre-primary through advanced secondary education.
Dr Nchemba said that by February 2026, the government had released TZS 383.22 billion out of TZS 510.96 billion, equivalent to 75 percent of the allocated funds, to support 18,119 primary schools and 5,179 secondary schools nationwide.
For the 2026/27 financial year, the Prime Minister asked Parliament to approve TZS 12.5 trillion for the Prime Minister’s Office and institutions under it.
Of the requested amount, TZS 8.73 trillion is allocated for recurrent expenditure, while TZS 3.76 trillion is earmarked for development projects.
He also requested Parliament to approve TZS 225 billion for the Parliamentary Fund, including TZS 207.99 billion for recurrent expenditure and TZS 17.02 billion for development spending.
