Uwezo Tanzania A grandfather questions education policy A household assessment creates space for families to discuss children’s learning A grandfather’s questions turned a household assessment visit in Arusha into a thoughtful conversation about education policy and children’s learning.
During Uwezo Tanzania’s annual national foundational learning assessment on 7 November 2026, our team met a grandfather who is the guardian of a 16-year-old boy studying in Form Three.
After the assessment, the grandfather asked about changes concerning Standard Seven under the current education policy and how these related to the foundational skills children are expected to acquire. He also questioned why older children, including secondary school learners, were being assessed using a Standard Two story.
His questions opened a discussion with Professor Sempeho Ibahati Siafu, Acting Deputy Rector for Academic Affairs, Research and Consultancy at the Institute of Adult Education. Community representatives participating in the visit included Aziza A. Tiboka, a local government representative from Longdon, and Kiula, the community leader for Shina Number Three.
Uwezo’s foundational learning assessment covers children aged five to seventeen. Assessing basic skills across this age range helps determine whether children have acquired the foundations needed for further learning, regardless of the class they have reached. A learner’s age or class alone cannot tell us whether those skills have been mastered.
This year’s assessment also includes life skills and values, alongside foundational literacy and numeracy. This broadens the evidence gathered about children’s learning and development.
The encounter highlighted another value of household assessments. Alongside collecting evidence, they create opportunities for parents and guardians to ask questions, share concerns and engage directly with education leaders.
As the assessment continues across Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar, families’ experiences and questions help give meaning to the evidence. Parents and guardians have a stake in understanding what children are learning and how education prepares them for life. Their voices deserve space in that conversation.
Photographs from the household visit
Sokoni One enumeration area in Arusha on 7 November 2026 image.png 1.37 MBThe grandfather reviews assessment materials with a team member during the household visit in Arusha, as other participants look on.image.png 1.35 MBParticipants in the household assessment visit with Uwezo materials. The visit created space to discuss education policy, foundational learning, life skills, and values.
