AI reliance blamed for poor analytical skills among students

Despite some students attaining first-class grades, education officials in Zanzibar have expressed concern over their limited abilities, attributing the challenge to a decline in reading and growing dependence on AI.

Speaking on August 14, 2025, during the handover of the renovated Ben Bella Girls’ Secondary School library, the Director of Secondary Education, Ms Asya Iddi Issa, said platforms such as ChatGPT cannot replace the value of reading books.

“Students nowadays don’t want to read. Even those with top grades struggle to analyse issues because they only cram to pass exams. Without a reading culture, one cannot broaden or deepen knowledge,” she said. Ms Issa stressed that ChatGPT is useful only when learners already have background knowledge. “It can help if you know what you want, but it is not a substitute for reading and building knowledge,” she added.

In Tanzania, many school libraries remain underfunded, while the shift towards online content has further reduced exposure to deep, sustained reading.

Efforts such as the refurbishment of the Ben Bella Girls’ Secondary School library in Zanzibar aim to reverse this trend. The Sh27.44 million project, implemented by READ Tanzania with support from the Karimjee Foundation, has provided new textbooks, computers, and space for 30 students at a time.

READ Tanzania director, Naemy Sillayo, said the goal is to “empower youth through access to quality learning resources,” noting that the organisation has renovated 177 school libraries across 22 regions.

An education technology researcher at the University of Dar es Salaam, Dr Aidan Mwakyusa, warned that the real danger lies in AI replacing, rather than supporting, human intellectual effort.

“True education is about grappling with complexity and wrestling with ideas. If AI becomes a shortcut, we risk producing graduates who can deliver perfect answers without understanding the questions,” he said.

Universities under pressure

Universities are responding by introducing plagiarism detection software, revising honour codes, and warning students against unauthorised use. But critics argue that this policing approach misses the bigger picture. A higher education analyst, Ms Regina Kessy, recently observed that the debate should focus less on catching offenders and more on redesigning learning.

“If a chatbot can complete your assignment and score highly, the real issue is not the student—it’s the assignment design,” she said.

“We should challenge students in ways AI cannot easily replicate, such as oral defences, problem-based learning, and interdisciplinary projects.”

Recognising both the promise and risks of AI, Tanzania’s Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MoEST) has issued National Guidelines for AI in Education.

The guidelines, aligned with the National Digital Education Strategy 2024/25–2029/30, promote ethical and responsible AI use. They call for training educators on AI’s benefits and risks, establishing institutional oversight, and continuous professional development to adapt teaching methods in the AI era.

Deputy Minister for Education, Science, and Technology, Omary Kipanga, said the government is not against AI but wants it integrated in ways that enhance, not replace, critical thinking.

“Our policy is to prepare learners for a digital future without losing the intellectual discipline that comes from reading, reasoning, and problem-solving,” he said.

Education consultant Dr Lillian Nkya added that Tanzania can draw lessons from current experiences.

“AI is not going away. We need to equip students with the skills to work alongside it, critical thinking, creativity, and ethical judgment,” she said.

Experts agree the challenge is not AI itself, but how it is integrated into the education system. Universities must embrace it as a learning partner, while preserving spaces for intellectual struggle