Zanzibar: Prioritizing young learners to develop foundational skills

This story was written in collaboration with Zanzibar’s Ministry of Education and Vocational Training and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

It is 6 a.m., and 3-year-old Faizat, the youngest in her family, is getting ready for school. She gets help to wash, dress and have breakfast. Then her mother fills her lunch box, gives her a hug and watches her make the one-minute walk to her preschool, Kikaangoni TuTu Center. Faizat passes her neighbors’ home and walks down a narrow path surrounded by banana trees and meets up with classmates along the way.

Before entering the school building, students and teachers gather for assembly and sing a song. The students then line up in front of the school, before taking turns to enter their classrooms, which are full of colorful posters, books and toys.

Prioritizing early learning

In 2006, Zanzibar made 2 years of pre-primary education compulsory, prioritizing the role early learning plays in building foundational skills. Pre-primary enrollment, which was at 15%, began increasing – as did demand for school infrastructure.

The government mobilized resources, worked with partners and began opening pre-primary classrooms in all public primary schools.

The Zanzibar Education Development Program for 2008–2016 established the long-term education policy to guide implementation.

Making early learning accessible to all children

USAID played a key role in ensuring that Zanzibar could rapidly expand access to pre-primary education by funding the TuTu program. TuTu is short for Tucheze Tujifunze, which means “learning through play”.

The program started out in community centers, with trained mentors using interactive radio instruction to deliver pre-primary education. Lessons and broadcasting were made possible by USAID's US$4 million project called Radio Instruction to Strengthen Education (RISE) for the period 2006-2010.

TuTu centers required less time and fewer resources to establish than pre-primary classrooms in schools, making it possible for more children to participate in the newly compulsory pre-primary education, especially in remote and underserved areas.

A 2009 impact study showed that children attending TuTu centers had better Kiswahili, English and math skills than children who did not attend. Aligned with Zanzibar’s pre-primary curriculum, the TuTu program also teaches life skills, which has helped children learn things like how to socialize.

Civil society organizations, such as Madrasa Early Childhood Programme – Zanzibar (MECP-Z), have played a key role in supporting communities to establish TuTu centers. In collaboration with the government and partners, like USAID, MECP-Z has helped empower community members to open, manage and sustain their centers. By 2012, over 150 TuTu centers were operational.

Working in partnership to improve education

GPE’s partnership approach and funding mechanisms aligned with Zanzibar’s aspirations to strengthen sector coordination and harmonize resources to scale up successful initiatives like the TuTu program. In 2013, Tanzania – both Mainland and Zanzibar – became GPE partners.

Zanzibar’s first GPE grant of US$5.2 million for the period 2013–2017 was managed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and aimed to improve equitable access to quality pre-primary education.

Thanks to GPE funding and coordinated partner support, Zanzibar established an additional 120 TuTu centers, which enrolled almost 16,000 children. Over 180 new radio lessons were developed, and 290 mentors were trained to use radios for teaching as well as how to use games, songs, interactive stories and physical activities in the learning process. Over 330 teachers were also trained to work in pre-primary classrooms in primary schools.

Further expanding access to early learning

Though pre-primary enrollment increased overall, it was lagging in rural districts. Zanzibar’s second GPE grant of $15 million for the period 2018–2024, managed by Sida, aimed to get more children entering primary school at the right age and with 2 years of pre-primary education behind them, especially in high-need areas.

To improve institutional capacity to deliver pre-primary education, TuTu center staff have been trained on how to effectively manage funds received through small-scale grants, and a monitoring tool has been introduced to evaluate the learning environment and teaching practices.

Boosting enrollment also required strong parent and community engagement. The government and partners continue to increase awareness of the importance of pre-primary education, and train parent and school committees on how to collaborate in support of early learning.

The TuTu program, which began in informal community-based centers with volunteers trained as facilitators, is now being formalized. The government is registering TuTu centers as public pre-primary schools and upgrading facilitators to pre-primary teachers.

Improving the quality of learning

While increasing access to early learning, Zanzibar has been monitoring the quality of learning. In 2016, a sector analysis showed that most students were not acquiring the skills stipulated in the curriculum, leading to a curriculum revamp. With GPE funding, Zanzibar developed a competence-based curriculum framework, defining learning outcomes and minimum standards for each level of education.

In 2022, another sector analysis led the government and partners to focus on more efficient and effective implementation of the revised curriculum, as well as learning assessment, both partly financed by GPE. The GPE grant of $11.8 million for the period 2023–2027 is defined by Zanzibar’s Partnership Compact priority reform: improve foundational skills.

The partnership compact marks the commitment of Zanzibar’s government and partners to ensure aligned and harmonized resources for implementation of the curriculum. Stronger sector coordination is helping ensure more students participate in quality early learning and are prepared for primary education.