Teachers have been urged to play a greater role in preparing students for self-employment and entrepreneurship, as Tanzania pushes ahead with education reforms aimed at producing graduates equipped with practical skills for the labour market.
Speaking at the opening of a three-day induction programme for newly recruited Business Studies teachers in Morogoro, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Caroline Nombo, said teachers should focus on developing learners' ability to create opportunities, solve problems and contribute to economic growth, rather than concentrating solely on examination performance.
The training brings together 702 newly appointed teachers who will teach Business Studies in government secondary schools nationwide.
"The responsibility of a teacher is not simply to help students pass examinations, but to enable them to solve challenges in their communities by applying the knowledge they acquire in school," Prof. Nombo said.
She said the education policy and curriculum reforms completed in 2023 were designed to produce graduates who are economically self-reliant and capable of contributing to national development.
Under the revised curriculum, the government has introduced two learning pathways general education and vocational education with Business Studies designated as a compulsory subject in both streams because of its role in fostering entrepreneurship, financial literacy and life skills.
Prof. Nombo said strengthening teachers' capacity to implement the new curriculum is central to achieving the reforms' objectives, adding that learners should graduate with the ability to translate classroom knowledge into productive economic activities.
The Director General of the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE), Dr. Aneth Komba, said the institute, in collaboration with Educate, is training teachers to deliver the revised Business Studies curriculum using learner-centred teaching methods.
She said the programme equips teachers with skills in lesson preparation, classroom delivery and competency-based instruction to ensure effective implementation of the curriculum from Form One to Form Four.
"Our objective is to ensure students leave school with practical knowledge and entrepreneurial skills that enable them to become self-employed or create jobs for others," Dr. Komba said.
According to her, more than 1,500 teachers have already undergone similar training, with another phase expected to begin in early August for volunteer teachers assigned to government secondary schools.
She called on local government authorities and school administrators to provide close supervision and institutional support to ensure the successful implementation of the Business Studies curriculum.
Prof. Nombo said the success of the education reforms would ultimately depend on teachers' professionalism and commitment to equipping students with competencies that improve livelihoods and support Tanzania's long-term economic transformation.
