Excerpts from the National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty

NSGRP Goal I: Ensuring equitable access to quality primary and secondary education for boys and girls, universal literacy among women and men; and expansion of higher, technical and vocational education.

Under this goal, key targets of relevance include:

Increased percentage of boys and girls with disabilities and orphans and vulnerable children who qualify for secondary education enroll and complete secondary school by 2010.
At least 50% of girls and boys aged 14-17 enroll in “O” level (Ordinary or "O” Level is equivalent to 8th-11th grades in the US system) secondary schools by 2010.
At least 60% of boys and girls pass Standard VII (Standard VII marks the end of primary school, or equivalent to 7th Grade) exams by 2010
At least 25% of boys and girls enroll in “A Level” (meaning “Advanced Level", or Grades 12 and 13) secondary schools by 2010
Improved learning environment for all children in all schools with all learning institutions safe, violence free, child friendly, and gender sensitive.
90% of primary and secondary schools have adequate, competent and skilled teachers by 2010
Improved knowledge on entrepreneurship skills among youth
Effective HIV/AIDS education and life skills programs offered in all primary, secondary schools and teacher’s colleges

Nurturing Minds applauds the efforts of the Government of Tanzania in seeking to improve education access and quality, and seeks to contribute to and complement government priorities and programs. There are numerous challenges in meeting the objectives defined in various national policy documents, and there is a risk of over-emphasis on reaching quantitative targets in the short-term at the cost of creating real and long-lasting qualitative change. For example, to improve infrastructure rapidly at secondary level, communities are being directed to develop 1 secondary school in each ward (equivalent to a "county"), yet have little capacity, and are given little money to do so. As a result, the new school infrastructures are often incomplete and lack adequate teaching staff.