Why education budget needs Sh2.25 trillion boost to meet targets

Dar es Salaam. The push for an increase in Tanzania’s education sector budget has gained momentum as stakeholders advocate for an additional Sh2.25 trillion in the 2025/26 fiscal year.

HakiElimu, a prominent civil society organization dedicated to promoting quality education, has highlighted four key reasons for raising the education budget from Sh6.17 trillion in 2024/25 to at least Sh8.25 trillion.

This call for increased funding comes as the ministry of Education, Science and Technology prepares to present its budget proposal for 2025/26 to Parliament next week.

Speaking to the press in Dar es Salaam on May 5, 2025, HakiElimu’s executive director, Dr John Kalage, emphasised the need for Tanzania to align political will with budgetary commitment to address the foundational gaps in its education sector.

While the government has made commendable strides in recent years—such as revising the Education Policy, implementing a new curriculum, and facilitating the re-entry of school dropouts—the gap between ambition and financing remains significant.

For five consecutive years, Tanzania has failed to meet the regional and global commitment of allocating 15 to 20 percent of its national budget to education, as outlined in the Incheon Declaration (2015).

In the 2024/25 fiscal year, the education budget accounted for only 12.5 percent of the total national budget of Sh49.35 trillion.

As the government projects an increase in the 2025/26 national budget to Sh55.06 trillion, HakiElimu argues that raising the education allocation to 15 percent would require setting aside Sh8.25 trillion. Dr Kalage noted that this increase of Sh2.08 trillion is essential for providing quality and inclusive education for all.

The teacher shortage in Tanzania has reached critical levels. Data presented to the Parliamentary Committee on Education in 2024 indicated a total shortage of 268,902 teachers, including 61,559 for pre-primary, 124,826 for primary, and 82,517 for secondary schools. Key subjects, such as engineering sciences and computer studies, are severely impacted, experiencing deficits of 81.4 percent and 73 percent, respectively.

Other mainstream science subjects also face significant shortages, including Biology (58 percent), Chemistry (52 percent), and Physics (53.35 percent). Despite annual teacher recruitment efforts, the pace of hiring remains slow.

In 2024/25, the government employed only 11,051 teachers, which means it could take over 20 years to address the current shortage. Dr. Kalage urged the implementation of a five-year emergency recruitment strategy, backed by a dedicated budget line.

Inclusive education—particularly for children with disabilities, girls returning to school, and marginalized communities—continues to be underfunded. Although there are policy intentions to support these groups, practical implementation is hindered by a lack of targeted financing.

According to BEST 2024 statistics, over 76,000 boys and 72,000 girls dropped out of school due to various challenges. Alarmingly, 60 percent of students who completed Form Four in 2022 and 2023 scored Division IV or 0, limiting their future education and job prospects.

HakiElimu contends that without specific funding for inclusive education programs—such as specialized training for teachers, assistive learning materials, and community engagement—many children will be left behind.

Dr Kalage called for “clear budget lines that prioritize the most vulnerable students in our system,” asserting that true inclusivity requires purposeful financial planning. Furthermore, access to updated textbooks has emerged as a critical issue following the rollout of Tanzania’s new education curriculum for primary and secondary schools.

Many schools still rely on outdated materials due to insufficient funding for textbook printing and distribution. Dr Kalage warned: “A new curriculum without books is like a car without fuel.”

Although the government has revised the Education Policy and initiated curriculum reviews at all levels, HakiElimu cautions that without funding for learning materials—particularly textbooks—these reforms will not be effectively implemented in classrooms.

Education economist Dr Martha Lusajo supports this view, stating, “You cannot implement a new curriculum effectively without teachers. We must prioritize teacher employment in the budget or risk reversing our recent gains.”

Education consultant Dr Thomas Jabir added: “Failure to invest in teaching resources renders all policy efforts ineffective. The budget must support textbook printing and teacher training if we want to see results.”

The 2025/26 budget is viewed as a critical test of the government’s commitment to quality education. With enrollment increasing annually, funding must rise proportionately to accommodate infrastructure, human resources, and learning materials.