Tanzania commits over Sh12 billion to inclusive education

The government plans to expand access to quality education for learners with disabilities by improving school infrastructure, training teachers and providing specialised learning materials under a Sh12 billion-plus inclusive education investment. The initiative forms part of the Fourth National Strategy for Inclusive Education, covering the 2026/27 to 2030/31 period, which seeks to ensure learners with disabilities and special needs can participate fully in the education system. Launching the strategy in Dodoma on Friday, October 16, 2026, the Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Adolf Mkenda, said the investment would support the construction and improvement of schools and dormitories, teacher training and the provision of learning materials. The government has also introduced nine guidelines covering assistive technology, vocational education, Tanzanian Sign Language and Kiswahili Braille to improve the delivery of education to learners with special needs. Prof Mkenda said the strategy, guidelines and equipment should translate into tangible improvements in learners' experiences rather than remain documents and supplies that merely demonstrate progress. “The strategy, guidelines and equipment should not be used merely as documents to showcase achievements, but as tools for bringing about real change,” he said. He urged parents not to hide children with disabilities, saying the government was ready to work with families to ensure they received quality education. “Do not hide your child because of a disability. The government will work with you to ensure that they receive quality education,” he said. As part of efforts to make learning more accessible, the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) has provided 200 laptops, 240 tablets and eight projectors worth Sh530 million to support teaching and learning in secondary schools. The ministry's Permanent Secretary, Prof Caroline Ndombo, said the laptops would benefit learners with physical disabilities who experience difficulties writing with pens. They will be distributed to beneficiaries from 13 regions, 17 councils and 18 secondary schools. The 240 tablets will be distributed to deaf learners in 46 secondary schools across 64 councils in 20 regions. The government has also allocated assistive devices worth Sh200 million to university students with disabilities. The equipment includes computers, tablets, hearing aids, crutches, audio recorders, white canes and three-wheeled motorised vehicles. Prof Ndombo said the government had facilitated in-service training for 2,058 public servants and distributed 522,600 Braille and large-print books. The number of universities providing services to students with disabilities had also increased from one to 19. She said the ministry would continue working with the Prime Minister's Office, Regional Administration and Local Government (TAMISEMI) and other stakeholders to improve support for learners with disabilities. Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Culture and Sports, Ms Husna Sekiboko, welcomed the progress but called for equipment and services to reach learners in all regions. “We have seen these measures implemented here in Dodoma, but we have many regions. We request that this equipment reaches more people in need across all regions of Tanzania,” she said. Ms Sekiboko said Parliament would continue to oversee funding for inclusive education programmes and urged students receiving assistive devices to use them appropriately and work hard, stressing that disability should not prevent them from pursuing their ambitions.