Using a social justice framework to assess educational quality in Tanzanian schools

This paper uses a social justice framework to assess the educational quality of over 100 primary and secondary schools surveyed in northern Tanzania from 2009 to 2011. Significant shortages of teachers, infrastructure, and teaching resources were observed in all government schools. National test exam scores for secondary school students highlighted the growing inequities between private and public schools as a learning environment. Although Tanzania has made some progress, severely under-resourced schools and dismal exam scores raise questions about the quality of education offered. This paper calls for a radical transformation of the current curriculum, strategies, and accountability systems.

► We analyze the quality of education across 106 rural Tanzanian schools.
► Students suffer from hunger, crowded schools, and teacher and resource shortages.
► Students in government vs. private schools failed Form 4 exams 3.5 times more often.
► Girls continue to have lower enrolment rates in secondary schools compared to boys.
► Increased teacher training and classroom resources will improve educational quality.
► Increased government focus on quality over quantity outcomes is needed for success.