The Predicament of the Public –Private – Partnership in Education in Tanzania

Abstract

Tanzania is still recovering from the socialist era of the 1967 when education was nationalized and the state had a monopoly in the education is deemed fit for Tanzanians. It is just recovering from a slumber, and a  serious one , to realize that partnership with the private sector in financing and managing education delivery can be beneficial to all persons in the country. This article traces that history from partnership during the colonial period through early independence days when there were grant aided schools to total monopoly from  unwilling or uninformed partnership.     The need for partnership is evident in the face of the declining quality of public education, better quality education from the private sector, inability of the state to handle the exploding demand for education. And the evidence that the  private sector produces better education quality and at lower unit coasts. Different modalities of public- private   partnership are presented,  including the Dutch model of build and let the private sector manage,  to  subsidies to private schools, including paying salaries for all teachers in all schools, recruiting and paying for all heads of schools,  and having management  contract. The role of the state could thus remain primarily regulatory and quality assurance,  and possibly the management of some few schools while most others are managed contractually by  individuals, organizations, and private firms.