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Tanzanian Students: Why you should embrace these high-demand courses
What you need to know:
- According to a recent survey conducted by The Citizen, the majority of Tanzanian graduates are teachers, a profession that has seen declining demand.
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s education system is undergoing a significant shift as the government prioritises courses that align with the nation’s socio-economic goals.
For years, many students have chosen courses based on the availability of education loans rather than job market demands.
This has contributed to an unemployment crisis, leaving thousands of graduates struggling to secure jobs.
According to a recent survey conducted by The Citizen, the majority of Tanzanian graduates are teachers, a profession that has seen declining demand.
Many teaching graduates from as far back as 2015 are still unemployed.
The Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) statistics for 2023 reveal that of the 17 fields of study in universities in 2023, education programmes had the highest number of graduates—15,103 out of 56,520.
In contrast, fields like engineering, agriculture, mining, and earth sciences, which are government priorities, produced significantly fewer graduates.
“The job market has changed. Not every course guarantees employment anymore,” said a lecturer at the Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE), Mr Chumi Michael.
“We need to guide students toward fields with high demand both locally and globally,” he added.
The government, through the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, is emphasising Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses.
Fields such as health sciences, engineering, energy, mining, agriculture, and logistics are now being prioritised to address the country’s development needs.
The Minister for Education, Prof Adolf Mkenda, recently highlighted the importance of aligning education with national goals.
“Loans are being allocated to students with priority in fields that meet the most pressing demands of our economy,” he said.
“Specialised teaching courses, such as physics and mathematics, are now a priority to strengthen STEM education,” he added.
Despite these efforts, the TCU report shows that courses in business and social sciences remain popular, producing 10,992 and 6,716 graduates respectively in 2023.
On the other hand, engineering had only 2,534 graduates, agriculture had 1,700, and mining and earth sciences had just 305 graduates.
“These numbers indicate a mismatch between student choices and national priorities,” said education analyst Dr Thomas Jabir.
“We need more professionals in fields like engineering and agriculture to meet Tanzania’s development goals,” he added.
To encourage students to choose high-demand fields, the government has introduced scholarships like the Samia Scholarship, which now extends to diploma students.
This initiative aims to attract students to study different courses such as engineering, logistics, and specialised teaching.
“The Samia Scholarship is a great motivation,” said Dr Rashid Mohamed of the State University of Zanzibar (Suza).
“But students and their guardians must also change their mindset. Decisions about education should be informed by job market trends, not just the availability of loans,” Dr Mohamed added.
Mr Michael echoed Dr Mohamed’s sentiment saying poor career guidance contributes to the problem.
“Many young people choose courses without understanding their long-term prospects. Career counsellors need to focus on guiding students toward high-demand sectors,” he suggested.
The cost of misdirected choices
The consequences of choosing low-demand courses are evident in the struggles of unemployed graduates.
For example, many business and education graduates have turned to alternative jobs unrelated to their fields of study.
“Specialised teachers in science subjects like mathematics and physics are easily employable, but general education graduates face significant challenges,” said Dr Jabir.
“It’s not that education is no longer needed, but the focus has shifted to science and technology,” he added.
The government’s decision to allocate loans and scholarships based on priority fields reflects a broader strategy to align education with the nation’s Vision 2050.
This vision includes fostering innovation, sustainable energy practices, and a skilled workforce capable of driving technological advancement.
A path forward
For Tanzania to address its unemployment crisis, students must make informed decisions about their education.
Prioritising fields like engineering, agriculture, mathematics, technology science, and logistics will not only enhance their employability but also contribute to the country’s development.
“We must focus on producing graduates who can fill critical gaps in our economy,” said Prof Mkenda, adding.
“This is the only way to ensure that education contributes meaningfully to our socio-economic progress.”
