Dar es Salaam. For decades, graduates from Tanzania’s technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges have largely been left to navigate the labour market on their own.
However, a significant shift is being noted. Despite possessing practical skills in electrical installation, automotive engineering, welding, plumbing, agriculture and laboratory technology, many ended up in informal self-employment or short-term contracts.
That long-standing reality is now shifting, driven by far-reaching reforms under the Education and Training Policy of 2014 (2023 edition) and the ongoing overhaul of the secondary education curriculum.
As Tanzania prepares to fully roll out vocational secondary education, a new pathway is emerging: transforming skilled vocational diploma holders into teachers for the vocational stream in secondary schools.
By 2028, secondary education will officially operate under two parallel streams — the general academic stream and the vocational stream.
This structural shift will significantly increase demand for teachers who are not only pedagogically competent but also practically skilled. In effect, the system now requires artisans who can teach.
At the centre of this transition is the revised Curriculum for the Ordinary Diploma in Vocational Teacher Education (Workshop and Laboratory Instruction – Elimu ya Amali).
According to the curriculum document, the programme runs for six months and targets graduates of middle-level technical and vocational colleges, enrolling them according to their areas of specialisation.
“These prospective workshop and laboratory instructors will study core courses in the foundations of vocational instruction and workshop or laboratory management,” the curriculum states.
The training is designed to prepare instructors to deliver hands-on learning to Form I–IV students under the vocational secondary education framework.
The reform is grounded in a long-established education philosophy. The curriculum emphasises that the strength of any education system depends largely on the quality of its teachers.
It echoes the words of the Father of the Nation, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, who warned that “any education policy, no matter how good it may be, cannot succeed without well-prepared teachers.”
Commissioner of Education Dr Lyabwene Mtahabwa says the shift marks a deliberate move towards competency-based education.
“For a long time, teaching was treated as a preserve of those who passed through conventional teacher education programmes,” Dr Mtahabwa explains. “But vocational education demands instructors who are practitioners first. A skilled technician, once equipped with pedagogical foundations, can be an excellent vocational teacher.”
He adds that the six-month instructional training is designed to complement, not dilute, professional standards.
“What these graduates already possess is deep occupational competence. The programme adds methodology, assessment skills, learner-centred approaches and workshop management, all aligned with the new vocational curriculum.”
Beyond policy intentions, the reform is already reshaping individual career paths.
A diploma holder in automotive engineering from Arusha Technical College, Mr John Mhando, said the opportunity has redefined his future.
“I thought my only options were running a small garage or working as a casual mechanic,” he says. “Teaching was never an option because I didn’t attend a teachers’ college. Now I can pass on my skills and enjoy a stable career.”
For, a laboratory technology graduate, Ms Asha Salum, the programme offers both purpose and professional growth. “I enjoy practical work, but I also enjoy mentoring others,” she noted in an interview yesterday.
“Knowing that I can be trained to teach in a vocational secondary school makes me feel that my skills are finally recognised by the education system.”
Even students still in training are adjusting their expectations. Kelvin Paul, a second-year electrical installation student, says perceptions are changing.
“We used to think teaching was only for education graduates. Now we see it as professional progression; you gain skills, then you teach and inspire others.”
System-wide, the implications are substantial. While Tanzania has rapidly expanded secondary school enrolment over the past decade, the supply of teachers for practical subjects has lagged behind.
Education planners estimate that thousands of additional vocational instructors will be required nationwide once the vocational stream is fully operational.
The revised vocational teacher training curriculum also aligns with global commitments, including the Jomtien Declaration, the Dakar Framework for Action, Sustainable Development Goal 4 and the Incheon Declaration.
It prioritises employability, self-reliance, life skills, ICT integration and problem-solving, competencies essential for a modern economy.
Crucially, the curriculum also prepares instructors themselves for economic resilience, equipping them with skills for self-employment or alternative livelihoods.
As Tanzania edges closer to a dual-track secondary education system, vocational diploma holders are no longer on the margins of teaching — they are becoming central to its future.
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