Accountability Relationships in 3Rs Curriculum Reform Implementation
Implication for Pupils’ Acquisition of Literacy and Numeracy Skills in Tanzania’s Primary Schools
Abstract
A qualitative research approach informed this study, using key informant interviews, focus group discussion and document review to answer the question: What are the accountability relationships between the actors in implementing the 3Rs curriculum reform? The data were analysed using thematic and content analysis. The study established that the key actors in implementing the 3Rs curriculum are the government institutions and the development partners. These actors provide teaching, learning materials and support for in-service teacher training. Yet, the materials prepared by the donor programmes were never authorised by the Commissioner for Education. The study found that the implementation of the 3Rs was uneven across the country, with some regions receiving support from both the government and donors, and others from the government only. Schools in areas that were exposed to more than one type of support benefited from various teaching and learning materials, which led to confusion regarding usage. The initiatives by several donors exclusively focused on public schools, which use Kiswahili for instruction, creating inequality across the various types of schools. The funds for implementing the reform were provided by both the development partners and the government. The Global Partnership for Education (GPE)—Literacy and Numeracy Education Support (LANES) Program— provided a large proportion of the funds. However, the funds remained insufficient to meet training needs. As a result, training was provided for only a few days and to a few teachers. Consequently, the sustainability of the reform, in the absence of donor funding, remains largely questionable.
This work is part of the ‘Research on Improving Systems of Education’ (RISE) programme
Citation
Komba, A. and Shukia, R. 2021. Accountability Relationships in 3Rs Curriculum Reform Implementation: Implication for Pupils’ Acquisition of Literacy and Numeracy Skills in Tanzania’s Primary Schools. RISE Working Paper Series. 21/065. https://doi.org/10.35489/BSG-RISE-WP_2021/065