Tanzania is shifting its education system towards practical skills and competencies intended to give graduates a better chance of finding jobs or creating employment for themselves, the government has said.
Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office responsible for Regional Administration and Local Government (PMO-RALG), Prof Riziki Shemdoe, said the changes were part of wider reforms aimed at ensuring education responds more directly to labour market demands.
Prof Shemdoe made the remarks on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, when he opened the Sixth African Curriculum Association (ACA) Conference at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC) in Dar es Salaam.
He said the transition from the 2014 curriculum to the 2023 curriculum had placed greater emphasis on competencies, creativity and practical skills that learners can use after completing their education.
“The new curriculum is intended to equip a learner with practical skills that can enable them to become self-employed or employed after completing their studies,” Prof Shemdoe said.
The minister said the government had also increased investment in vocational education as part of efforts to give students practical skills.
“We have invested in vocational education. President Samia Suluhu Hassan provided funds for the construction of vocational schools, and so far we have built 103 schools across the country,” he said.
The reforms come as education systems face growing pressure to produce graduates with skills that match the needs of employers and the wider economy.
Prof Shemdoe said the four-day ACA conference had brought together participants from 22 African countries to deliberate on the future of curricula on the continent.
He said the gathering would provide an opportunity for African countries to exchange experiences and discuss how curriculum reforms could better respond to changing economic, social and technological needs.
The Director General of the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE), Dr Aneth Komba, said the conference was also addressing the need for African countries to develop curricula that reflect their cultures, values and identity.
She said many African countries had historically relied on curricula inherited from colonial systems, making it necessary to develop education approaches that reflect the continent’s own circumstances and priorities.
“The major agenda of this conference is to ensure we have curricula that prepare a patriotic African who will be proud to be called an African,” Dr Komba said.
The conference is expected to conclude on September 25, 2026.