The Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr. Philip Mpango, has underscored the importance of harnessing East Africa's growing population, particularly its youth, for regional development through enhanced investment in education and health.
During the opening of the East African Regional Education Conference and the African Union’s 2024 Year of Education celebrations at the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC).
Dr. Mpango stated, “The rising population in East African nations underscores the need for increased financial resources to meet the demands for quality education and healthcare.”
He highlighted that, “The demographic trends in East Africa could be a tremendous advantage if the region fully capitalizes on its human resources to drive economic growth.”
Despite Africa’s overall educational improvements compared to other continents, Dr. Mpango noted, “The Southern Sahara region continues to face challenges due to insufficient educational funding.”
He urged for “additional efforts to address these challenges,” emphasizing that “The main obstacles to high-quality education in Africa stem from inadequate investment in the sector, making it difficult to address the major development issues of population growth, globalization, and technological advancement.”
Dr. Mpango detailed Tanzania's ongoing reforms in the education sector, including the plan to extend compulsory education from the current seven years to ten years by 2027/2028.
He explained, “Our curriculum updates aim at improving education quality and preparing human resources to meet contemporary global needs, such as digital advancements and technology.”
Additionally, he highlighted the government’s efforts to enhance educational infrastructure, stating, “We are working on constructing classrooms and teacher housing, and providing adequate teaching materials like computers and books.” Dr. Mpango added that “The goal is to improve education quality, increase accessibility, and ensure that education meets the demands of globalization and rapid technological progress.”
He expressed appreciation for international partners supporting Tanzania’s education reforms, saying, “We welcome the European Union’s new funding initiative (PEERS), which will help coordinate education systems in the region.” Dr. Mpango affirmed Tanzania’s commitment to collaborating on the East African Community’s educational goals, stating, “We are dedicated to working together to advance education across the region.”
The conference is attended by various leaders from the African Union, East African Community, Education Ministers, representatives from East African member states, development partners, international organizations, and education sector stakeholders.
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