Dar es Salaam. Tanzania is set to introduce one of the most significant reforms to teacher preparation in decades, requiring newly qualified teachers to complete a one-year supervised internship before they are granted a professional teaching licence.
The new arrangement, which forms part of the implementation of the country's revised education curriculum, is expected to strengthen classroom competence by ensuring graduates gain practical experience before taking full responsibility for teaching.
Education Commissioner, Dr Lyabwene Mtahabwa, confirmed the new framework, saying it is among the reforms accompanying the country's curriculum changes aimed at improving the quality of learning and teaching.
The move effectively creates a two-stage practical training pathway for future teachers.
According to Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU), student teachers will continue undertaking their compulsory teaching practice while studying at university, but will now be required to complete an additional year of supervised professional practice after graduation before qualifying for a teaching licence.
The approach mirrors professional training models used in fields such as medicine, where graduates complete supervised clinical practice before obtaining full professional registration.
The Executive Secretary of the TCU, Prof Charles Kihampa, said the existing teaching practice conducted during university studies would remain unchanged.
Under the current system, education students are attached to schools during their studies, where they teach under the supervision of both university lecturers and experienced school teachers while continuing with their academic coursework.
He said the new internship should not be confused with the teaching practice undertaken by undergraduate students.
"After completing their university studies, graduates will then undertake a one-year internship before they are issued with a teaching licence," he said.
The introduction of teacher licensing marks another important shift in Tanzania's teacher professional development framework.
Until now, university graduates who completed their teaching degree could enter the profession after graduation. Under the new system, the internship will become a mandatory step towards professional certification.
Although details of how the licensing framework will operate are yet to be fully announced, education experts say the model is designed to ensure teachers demonstrate classroom competence before receiving full professional recognition.
Students have welcomed the change, describing it as an opportunity to bridge the gap between theory and classroom realities.
A third-year education student at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Goodluck Francis, said they had already been informed that the new arrangement would apply to students currently in their first year.
"We have been told that the system will not affect us in the third year. It will begin with students who are now in their first year," he said.
He believes spending an entire year in schools before becoming fully licensed will better prepare graduates for the realities of the profession.
A student from the Zanzibar University (ZU), who requested anonymity, said they had also received information about the forthcoming changes.
"We have been informed that during the one-year internship we will receive a modest allowance while continuing to learn. Without completing the internship, you will not meet all the professional requirements," the student said.
A lecturer at the Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE), who also requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly, said universities had already been instructed to prepare for the reforms.
"Implementation has not started yet, but institutions have been informed to prepare. We also understand that the University of Dar es Salaam is expected to begin implementing the new arrangement next year," he said.
One question yet to be clarified is how interns will be remunerated.
Prof Kihampa said TCU is not responsible for determining payments for teacher interns.
However, the June 2023 Guidelines for Volunteer Teachers in Pre-primary, Primary, Secondary Schools and Folk Development Colleges in Mainland Tanzania provide some indication of how such placements could be financed.
The guidelines state that funding may come through collaboration between the Government, parents, communities and development partners.
Local government authorities may use locally generated revenue to provide allowances to volunteer teachers, depending on their financial capacity and staffing needs.
Additional resources may also come from income-generating education activities and contributions from development partners and individual.
