The government has urged teachers to embrace innovation and modern teaching methods to improve learning outcomes, while announcing that 35 winners of the 2026 National Teaching Skills Competition will be allocated land plots near their work stations as part of efforts to motivate excellence in the profession.
Speaking at an awards ceremony in Dar es Salaam on Saturday, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government), Prof. Riziki Shemdoe, said teachers remain at the heart of Tanzania’s development agenda because of their role in nurturing the country’s future workforce.
He said the government would continue creating a conducive working environment and introducing incentives aimed at improving performance in schools.
“Teachers have a critical responsibility in shaping students into knowledgeable, skilled and morally upright citizens. Their contribution is fundamental to the nation’s social and economic progress,” Prof. Shemdoe said.
He challenged educators to adopt innovative and learner-centred teaching approaches that encourage critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving skills among students, arguing that such competencies are increasingly important in a rapidly changing world.
The minister said the National Teaching Skills Competition was designed to promote professionalism, accountability, innovation and commitment among teachers, adding that quality education remains key to producing the human capital needed to drive Tanzania’s long-term development ambitions.
In a move intended to recognise outstanding performance, Prof. Shemdoe directed relevant authorities to facilitate the allocation of land plots to the 35 national winners, describing the incentive as a demonstration of the government’s appreciation of teachers who go beyond the call of duty.
The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Culture and Sports, Ms Husna Sekiboko, said sustained improvements in the education sector require collective efforts from parents, teachers, learners, policymakers and communities.
She noted that reforms currently being implemented in education administration and governance are aimed at enhancing service delivery and improving learning achievements across the country.
The Director General of the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE), Dr Aneth Komba, said the 2026 competition attracted participants from all 184 local government authorities on Tanzania Mainland.
According to her, the competition marked the fourth edition for pre-primary and primary school teachers and the second edition for secondary school educators.
Dr Komba said this year’s pre-primary category focused on strengthening the teaching of reading skills, particularly letter sounds, which remain a challenge for some learners in pronunciation and word formation.
She said the initiative supports the government’s efforts to improve foundational literacy and numeracy skills among children and aligns with President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s vision of ensuring every child can read fluently by the time they complete Standard Three.
“The competition seeks to address challenges in the teaching and learning of reading, writing and arithmetic skills while encouraging teachers to adopt effective classroom practices that improve pupil performance,” she said.
Preparation for the competition involved analysing student performance data from the National Examinations Council of Tanzania (NECTA) and reviewing newly introduced curriculum components to identify areas requiring greater attention.
Teachers were required to prepare lesson plans, record classroom teaching sessions lasting between 10 and 15 minutes and upload the materials to the National Teaching Skills Competition System for assessment.
A total of 3,153 teachers registered for the competition, with 1,263 successfully submitting videos for evaluation at the council level.
Assessment was conducted at council, regional and national levels using criteria such as lesson content, delivery techniques, use of participatory methods, integration of information and communication technology (ICT), utilisation of teaching and learning materials, promotion of 21st-century skills and application of continuous assessment.
Of the 1,263 videos assessed at the council level, 751 progressed to the regional stage before 232 advanced to the national level, where the final winners were selected.
Education experts say initiatives that reward excellence in teaching not only recognise outstanding educators but also encourage the wider adoption of innovative practices that can help improve learning outcomes nationwide.
