Tanzania’s push for digital inclusion starts in primary school 💻🇹🇿

Cliquez ici pour lire en français

In a region still grappling with a deep digital divide, Tanzania is stepping up efforts to integrate technology into education. The goal: to equip young people with essential digital skills that will boost their chances of employment in the future.

Computers for primary schools 🖥️

On August 23, Ardhi University (ARU) donated 55 computers to five primary schools in Dar es Salaam. The initiative is part of the VLIR-UOS project (the Flemish Interuniversity Council for University Development Cooperation), run in partnership with Hasselt University in Belgium. Alongside the hardware, more than 80 headteachers and deputy heads have already been trained in digital tools to better support both teachers and students.

The impact of this equipment goes beyond simply introducing ICT into the classroom. At Buguruni Deaf Primary, a school for children with hearing impairments, the donation is especially significant. It opens access to adapted digital content, making education more inclusive and equitable. According to the World Bank’s Digital Africa: Technological Transformation for Jobs report (2023), every 10-point increase in young Africans’ digital access index boosts their employment prospects by 3 to 5%.

The connectivity challenge 🌍

While distributing hardware is a step forward, connectivity remains a critical hurdle. In 2023, UNESCO and the World Bank reported that 85% of Tanzanian primary schools had electricity, but only 62–70% had reliable internet access — mostly concentrated in urban areas. That gap is worrying, especially given that the International Finance Corporation (IFC) projects 230 million jobs in sub-Saharan Africa will require digital skills by 2030.

The ARU initiative highlights how university–school partnerships can help bridge the digital divide, echoing similar efforts in Rwanda and Kenya, where programs have already delivered positive results in learning outcomes and youth employability. For Tanzania, the next challenge will be ensuring equipment maintenance, ongoing teacher training, and scaling the project beyond a handful of regions.

Towards integrating ICT into the curriculum 📚

Experts argue that the long-term success of these projects will depend on embedding digital education into the national curriculum. Starting at the primary level, this approach could prepare an entire generation to meet the demands of a digital-first job market.

Tanzania is positioning itself on a path toward educational transformation, where digital inclusion becomes a driver of both economic growth and social development.

👉🏾 Do you think bringing digital education into primary schools is the key to preparing Africa’s youth for the jobs of tomorrow?