By Business Insider Reporter, Dodoma
Government has committed a total of TSh24 billion in the next budget to sustain learning access in 2025/26, minister of State, President’s Office – Planning and Investments, Prof Kitila Mkumbo, has said.
The flagship free education policy – which exempts students and pupils from paying school fees – continues to benefit over 14 million students nationwide, with TSh24 billion allocated in the upcoming budget to fund school operations, infrastructure and teaching materials.
First introduced in 2016 and expanded in subsequent years, the policy has led to dramatic increases in enrollment and reduced dropouts, particularly in remote regions, Prof Mkum bo said when tabling the nations 2025/26 economic overview, ahead of the main budget scheduled for this evening (June 12, 2025).
The program has been hailed by many stakehiolders noting that iot has helped a lot of poor families to keep their children at school.
Girls in rural areas are staying in school longer, bwung one of clearest sign of impact, according to Ministry of Education official.
The 2025/26 plan includes constructing more classrooms, dormitories, and teacher houses to address congestion and regional inequality.
The policy also supports school feeding programs, early childhood education, and digital literacy initiatives in partnership with NGOs and development partners.
However, education stakeholders say that the quality of instruction must now match the rising demand.
According to them focus should not be directed to the quality of education offered.
They also noted that teacher-pupil ratio remains high in many areas, prompting calls for a national teacher recruitment drive and expansion of teacher training colleges. The free education policy is credited with helping Tanzania achieve near-universal access to basic education, positioning the country for greater social and economic mobility.
