Financing for equity in pre-primary education
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to institutions
3. Education resources to students and families
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Introduction
Key financing indicators (UIS Data)
The official entry age to pre-primary education is 6 years old, with one year of free pre-primary education guaranteed in legal frameworks. In 2024, the net enrolment rate for pre-primary (both sexes) was 25.5%.
Governance
In Tanzania Mainland, the education budget is managed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) together with the President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PORALG). Most of the budget is channeled by the Ministry of Finance to the 184 local government authorities (137 district authorities and 47 urban authorities), which are responsible for implementing pre-primary, primary, and secondary education within a decentralised by devolution framework.
The financing of pre-primary education (1 year, ages 5-6), which is part of free basic, compulsory education is included in the budget line for primary education.
Children aged 3-4 years are underrepresented in early childhood education programmes, with contradictions in early learning policy and law confusing both implementers and regulators in delivering to this age group, and no formal national programme curriculum specific to this age group.
The Ministry of Community Development, Gender and Children (MCDGC) is the coordinating ministry for early childhood development in Tanzania Mainland, with the Department of Social Welfare overseeing integrated early childhood development for children under 5 years (such as crèches and day-care centers). However, formal pre-primary education is only officially delivered by the MoEST.
In Zanzibar, the public education budget is predominantly managed by the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT), including the 2 years (ages 4-5) of compulsory pre-primary education. The Ministry of Empowerment, Social Welfare, Youth, Women and Children (MESWYWC) houses the coordination of early childhood development, but MoEVT is accountable for the 2 years of pre-primary education.
Tuition-free status
In Tanzania Mainland, the financing of pre-primary education (1 year, ages 5-6) is part of free basic, compulsory education. In Zanzibar, pre-primary education (2 years, ages 4-5) is compulsory.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
LGAs are responsible for implementing pre-primary, primary and secondary education under a decentralized structure. In Tanzania Mainland, local government authorities are funded through a formula-based grant system initially introduced in 2004, with education and health sectors receiving the largest share. While the grant system initially covered recurrent expenses, it was extended to include development expenditure in 2006. The formula guiding the recurrent grant for education is based on the number of school-aged children enrolled in primary and secondary schools, while the development grant additionally considers classroom shortage, level of poverty, and assessment reports.
In Zanzibar, the provision and financing of pre-primary education services are centralised and managed by the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training directly to schools.
2. Education resources to institutions
School Capitation Grants
In Tanzania Mainland, the main mechanism for financing public schools (including at the pre-primary level) is through capitation grants, which are allocated according on a per capita basis based on the number of students. Although there is no dedicated funding for disadvantaged students, the 2018–21 National Strategy on Inclusive Education outlined plans to allocate higher per capita spending for children with disabilities. However, in the 2025/26 Budget Statement of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, no specific reference was made to additional capitation grants for students with disabilities, with only the provision of digital devices and teaching and learning materials included in the allocations.
Community schools (which are categorized as grant-aided institutions) are provided with government grants in the form of money or education materials and supplies to assist in their educational activities.
In Zanzibar, public school capitation grants are also allocated according to student enrolment. Non-government schools may also apply to become aided schools (through an application to the MoEVT). Similar to Mainland Tanzania, these schools receive money or educational materials from the government subject to additional accountability requirements and regulations by the Minister.
3. Education resources to students and families
Government subsidies or vouchers are not available at the pre-primary or primary level.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Productive Social Safety Net Programme
Since 2012, the United Republic of Tanzania has implemented the Productive Social Safety Net Programme, its flagship nationwide social protection initiative operating in both Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar, and recognised as the country’s largest social assistance programme. It is managed by the Tanzania Social Action Fund under the President’s Office and financed by both government and development partners. The programme provides unconditional base cash transfers to extremely poor households, alongside additional transfers conditional on school attendance, and is implemented in 184 local government authorities in mainland Tanzania and 11 in Zanzibar.
Targeting follows a three-stage system: geographical selection of the poorest districts, wards, and communities; community-based listing of extremely poor and vulnerable households; and a proxy-means test to establish household eligibility. Under the education conditionality, households receive monthly transfers for school attendance, fee-free provision of basic education notwithstanding. Compliance is achieved when children over the age of five are enrolled and attend at least 80 per cent of school days.
The World Bank has been the programme’s largest and longest-standing funder, while the government has gradually increased its share of financing. Although it was initially agreed that the government would cover one-third of the annual budget, in practice it contributed only 4.1 per cent of total costs in 2015/16, equivalent to 15.9 per cent of its original commitment. Overall, the majority of social welfare and assistance funding in Tanzania—about 89 per cent—is provided by development partners.
