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T
he Government through the Parliament has in this Financial Year, (2017/2018) allocated
and approved to collect and spend a total of Tsh. 4,706.4 billion for both Recurrent and
Development expenditures for the Education Sector. This amount will be spent in all
Education Sector’s related Expenditures distributed through the Ministry of Education Science
and Technology (MoEST), which takes up around 28% of the total sectors budget, the President’s
6MÄJL9LNPVUHS(KTPUPZ[YH[PVUHUK3VJHS.V]LYUTLU[769(3.^OPJOHZZ\TLZHSTVZ[VM
the budget and the rest 2% being distributed to the Ministry of Health and other special projects.
(JJVYKPUN[V[OLZLJ[VYI\KNL[HUHS`ZPZ4V-[OL.V]LYUTLU[OHZWSHUULKHUK
approved to spend Tsh. 3,572 billion for Recurrent Expenditures which is almost 76% of the entire
education sector expenditure, while Tsh. 1,134 billion is allocated for total development expenditure
of the sector which is on the other hand only 24% of the total Education sector budget.

Education sector's recurrent and development allocations 2017/18

4,000
3,500
3,000
Tsh. billion

2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
Development Recurrent
Education budget 1,134 3,572

While we understand that Recurrent Expenditure is an important category and that cannot be
avoided, we also recommend that equal emphasis in terms of allocation be given to Development
Expenditures. This call is informed of the prevailing education sector’s challenges including
inadequate infrastructure, teaching and learning materials and generally poor learning environment
which demand more funds on the development category than recurrent to solve them.

1
(JJVYKPUN[V:[H[PZ[PJZ),:;IHZPJLK\JH[PVUPZJ\YYLU[S`MHJLK^P[OHUHJ\[LZOVY[HNL
of around 160,000 classrooms for Primary schools only which makes up the Pupil Classroom
9H[PV[V!7YPTHY`"[OL7P[3H[YPULYH[PVOHZYLTHPULKH[!MVYNPYSZHUK!MVYIV`Z^OPJO
is against the recommended ratio of 1:20 and 1:25 consecutively; there is also almost 81.1%
ZOVY[HNLVM[LHJOLYZ»OV\ZLZHUKZOVY[HNLVMHKTPUPZ[YH[P]LISVJRZ(SSVM[OLZLKLTHUK
an investment in development expenditure rather than recurrent.
It is important to understand that lack of infrastructures in schools and prevailing poor learning
and teaching environment equally affects the learning of our children as they are affected by
lack of teaching staff that are serviced by Recurrent Expenditures. However, poor learning and
teaching environment affect more girls who are supposed to keep clean all the time to avoid
possible infections that they are vulnerable to.

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Despite the poor distribution of Education sector’s funds to Recurrent and Development
,_WLUKP[\YLZ,K\JH[PVUOHZMVY[OLSHZ[Ä]L`LHYZILLUHTVUNZ[[OLTVZ[OPNOS`I\KNL[HSSVJH[LK
sector. 2017/18 is no difference and it has been ranked as the second most prioritized sector in
terms of budgeting after the Roads and Transport sector which has a total of Tsh. 5,541.3 billion
LX\P]HSLU[[VVM[OLLU[PYL5H[PVUHS)\KNL[
;OLJOHY[ILSV^ZOV^Z[OLKPZ[YPI\[PVUVM)\KNL[PU[OLÄYZ[ZP_WYPVYP[`ZLJ[VYZVM[OL.V]LYUTLU[

998.5
Education
Health
4,706.40
Water
5,541.30
Agriculture
Roads and Transport
2,222.30 Energy and Mineral
747.9
1,150.40

While we hail the Government’s decision and consideration of making the Education Sector as
the second most prioritized sector by allocating Tsh. 4,706.4 billion which is equivalent to 15%
VM[OL[V[HS5H[PVUHS)\KNL[^OPJOPZ;ZO IPSSPVUHSSVJH[LKPU"^LZ[PSSILSPL]L
that the budget falls short of the prevailing demands, challenges and commitment that have been
agreed upon to revamp the sector from the incumbent challenging situation.
(JJVYKPUN[V[OLYLNPVUHSJVTTP[TLU[ZZ\JOHZ[OL+HRHYHNYLLTLU[HUKPU[LYUH[PVUHS
HNYLLTLU[Z Z\JO HZ [OL,UJOLVU JVTTP[TLU[  JV\U[YPLZ PU:\I :HOHYHU (MYPJH ZOV\SK
H[SLHZ[PU]LZ[H[V[HSVM[OL5H[PVUHS)\KNL[[V,K\JH[PVUPUVYKLY[VHKKYLZZ[OLZLJ[VY»Z
haunting challenges especially on improving learning and teaching environment. With these
commitments in mind (which Tanzania has also signed), we should realize that 15% of the National
)\KNL[[OH[[OLNV]LYUTLU[PZW\[[PUNPU[OL,K\JH[PVU:LJ[VYKVLZUV[VUS`MHSSZOVY[VM[OLZL
JVTTP[TLU[ZI\[HSZVPTWS`[OH[^V\SKILKPMÄJ\S[MVY[OLL_PZ[PUNJOHSSLUNLZ[VILHKKYLZZLK
any time soon.
/V^L]LYHZPMHSSVJH[PUNSLZZ[OHU[OLYLJVTTLUKLKVM[OL5H[PVUHS)\KNL[[VLK\JH[PVUPZ
UV[LUV\NO[OL.V]LYUTLU[OHZHSZVYLK\JLKHZOHYLVM[OL,K\JH[PVU)\KNL[[V[OL5H[PVUHS
)\KNL[ MYVT  HSSVJH[LK PU  ÄUHUJPHS `LHY [V  [OPZ `LHY  ;OL X\LZ[PVU

2
^V\SK[OLYLMVYLIL^O`&>OPSL[OL5H[PVUHS)\KNL[PZYPZPUNMYVT;ZOZ [YPSSPVU[V;ZO[YPSSPVU
[OL,K\JH[PVU)\KNL[WYVWVY[PVUHSPZMHSSPUNPUMHJ[[OLMHSSOHZILLUYLJVYKLKPU[OLSHZ[Ä]L`LHYZ
as the chart below indicates.

Education sector's budget trend (% of the National Budget)

18%
17%

16%
16%
14.9%

14%
2015/16 2016/17 2017/18
Our worry is, if this trend will continue, it will take us forever to attain or meet the 20% commitment
[V[OL,K\JH[PVU:LJ[VYHZHNYLLK\WVUPU[OL+HRHYHUK[OL,UJOLVU+LJSHYH[PVUZ[V[OL:\I
:HOHYHU (MYPJH JV\U[YPLZ ;HUaHUPH PUJS\ZP]L HUK WYVIHIS` MHPS [V HKKYLZZ RL` [LHJOPUN  HUK
learning challenges that still hunt the Education Sector in Tanzania.
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Despite being among the Government’s priority sector in terms of the amount of budget allocated,
the Education Sector is haunted with budget implementation challenges, especially Development
)\KNL[>LHYLJVUÄKLU[[OH[PM[OLHWWYV]LKM\UKZ^LYL[VILM\SS`KPZI\YZLKHUKZWLUK[V[OL
corresponding line items, the sector’s challenges would have been reduced to an acceptable rate.
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;ZO   IPSSPVU ^HZ HWWYV]LK MVY +L]LSVWTLU[ ,_WLUKP[\YLZ /V^L]LY \W [V (WYPS  [OL
Government had disbursed Tsh. 500.2 billion which is almost 56% of the entire approved budget
as the graph below suggests.
Moest development disbursement by March 2017
900
Tsh. bilion

600

300 Allocated Disbursed

Moest development
897.6 500.2
disbursement by March 2017

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;ZOIPSSPVULX\P]HSLU[Z[VHSTVZ[ WLYJLU[VM[OLLU[PYLKPZI\YZLKHTV\U[^LU[[V/PNOLY
LK\JH[PVUZ[\KLU[»Z3VHU)VHYKMVYHKTPUPZ[YH[PVUHUKNYHU[PUNSVHUZ[VZ[\KLU[Z6\YHYN\TLU[
is therefore that only 31% equivalent to Tsh. 156 billion were disbursed for the education sector’s
projects under the Ministry of Education. It is important to note also that the 31% disbursement
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presented by the Ministry of Finance in parliament in June 2017.

3
 Ministry's development budget disbursement as of March 2017 (Tsh. bil)

Higher education loans

69%
31% Real Ministry's development
projects

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One of the key challenges in the Education Sector is the mainstreaming of Gender aspects of
equity and equality in and out of schools by emancipating girls who historically have been left
behind when it comes to Education.
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  ZJOVVSZ PU ;HUaHUPH THPUSHUK P[ ^HZ YL]LHSLK [OH[  VM [OL ZJOVVSZ OHK UV SH[YPULZ
 OHK UV OHUK ^HZOPUN MHJPSP[PLZ  OHK UV ^H[LY MVY OHUK ^HZOPUN  KV UV[ OH]L
ZVHW H]HPSHISL HUK  VM [OL ZJOVVSZ OHK UV ^H[LY Z\WWS` >(:/ 4HWWPUN 9LWVY[ 
(JJVYKPUN[V),:;[OLZP[\H[PVUPZUVIL[[LY[VKH`HUKHSS[OLZLJYLH[LM\Y[OLYIHYYPLYZ[V
JOPSKYLU»ZH[[LUKHUJL[VZJOVVSZLZWLJPHSS`NPYSZ(JJVYKPUN[V[OLZ[\K`NPYSZLZWLJPHSS`MYVT[OL
poor family and rural areas miss classes up to 3 days every month which is almost a month to
every academic year due to menstrual challenges.
>(:/MHJPSP[PLZPU;HUaHUPH»ZZJOVVSZHYLL_[YLTLS`WVVY5H[PVUHSKH[HZOV^Z[OH[VUH]LYHNL
[OLYLPZVUS`VULWP[SH[YPULMVYL]LY`JOPSKYLUPUWYPTHY`ZJOVVSZHS[OV\NOPUV[OLYZWLJPÄJ
cases the ratio goes up to 200 per latrine or no latrine at all.
It is important to understand that lack of separate and adequate sanitation and washing facilities
for adolescent girls is a barrier to their Education as it discourages them from attending school
^OLYL [OL` JV\SK IL LTIHYYHZZLK HUK O\TPSPH[LK 7LVWSL»Z +L]LSVWTLU[ -VY\T (UU\HS
Program Report 2015). Inadequate hygiene facilities in schools would force a girl on her period
to stay at home and miss important classes and eventually this affects school performance and
increase the risk of dropping out due to leakage from poor hygiene products that may lead to
embarrassment and inability to deal with personal hygiene.
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™4\JO HZ ^L KPK UV[ ZLL ZWLJPHS I\KNL[ MVY HKKYLZZPUN [OLZL ZWLJPÄJ NPYSZ LK\JH[PVU
JOHSSLUNLZ^LJHSS\WVU[OL.V]LYUTLU[[VZL[HZPKLPU[OLUL_[ÄUHUJPHS`LHYZWLJPHS
budget for girls sanitation facilities in schools including for buying disposable pads for
those who could not afford them especially from remote areas.
™We also recommend to the Government to set aside the budget (which we did not see in
the current budget) for children with special needs in inclusive schools and capitation for
pre primary learners who are always overlooked.

Contact us at:
7SV[:LTIL[P9VHKc4PRVJOLUP)
76)V_c+HYLZ:HSHHT;HUaHUPH
Phone: +255 22 2780200 | Mobile: + 255 782317434
Email: info@policyforum.or.tz | Website: www.policyforum.or.tz