PROF. SHEMDOE URGES TEACHERS TO ENHANCE INNOVATION IN TEACHING

– 35 Award-Winning Teachers to Receive Land Plots

Teachers across the country have been urged to continue working diligently, remain committed, and adopt innovative teaching methods to improve the quality of education and contribute to national development. Meanwhile, 35 teachers who emerged as winners of the 2026 National Teaching Skills Competition have been directed to be allocated land plots near their workplaces as part of a motivation package.

Speaking on June 6, 2026, in Dar es Salaam during an award ceremony for winners of the competition involving pre-primary, primary, and secondary school teachers, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government – TAMISEMI), Prof. Riziki Shemdoe, said that teachers play a crucial role in nurturing and preparing students to become knowledgeable citizens equipped with the skills and values required in society.

Prof. Shemdoe stated that the government will continue to recognize and value teachers’ contributions by creating conducive working environments and providing various incentives aimed at improving teaching and learning efficiency.

He also urged teachers to continue utilizing modern and innovative teaching approaches to help students develop critical thinking, creativity, and the ability to address challenges in today’s world.

He noted that the awards are intended to promote excellence, accountability, innovation, and dedication in the teaching profession, emphasizing that national development largely depends on the quality of human resources produced through the education system.

For her part, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Culture and Sports, Husna Sekiboko, said that success in the education sector requires the participation of all stakeholders, including parents, teachers, students, and community leaders.

She added that ongoing improvements in leadership and governance systems are aimed at enhancing the efficiency of education service delivery and improving students’ learning outcomes.

Meanwhile, the Director General of the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE), Dr. Aneth Komba, said that the 2026 National Teaching Skills Competition is the fourth edition for pre-primary and primary school teachers and the second edition for secondary school teachers, involving all 184 local government authorities in Mainland Tanzania.

She explained that, for pre-primary education, the competition focused on strengthening teaching competence in reading skills, particularly letter sounds, which have been a challenge for some learners in pronunciation and correct usage when forming syllables and words.

“The objective of this competition is to help address challenges in the teaching and learning of Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic (RWA) skills to ensure that pupils master these essential competencies by the time they reach Grade Three. This area of competition supports the vision of Her Excellency President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan to ensure that all children can read fluently by Grade Three,” said Dr. Komba.

She further explained that preparations for the competition involved analyzing student performance data from the National Examinations Council of Tanzania (NECTA), as well as reviewing newly introduced curriculum areas to identify priority areas requiring attention.

According to Dr. Komba, teachers were required to prepare lesson plans, record themselves teaching for between 10 and 15 minutes, and upload both the video and lesson plan to the digital National Teaching Skills Competition System for assessment.

A total of 3,153 teachers registered on the system, while 1,263 teachers, equivalent to 40 percent, successfully uploaded their videos for evaluation at the council level.

She noted that assessments were conducted at three levels—council, regional, and national—based on various criteria, including content quality, lesson flow, use of participatory teaching methods, integration of ICT, utilization of teaching aids, promotion of 21st-century skills, and application of continuous assessment in the teaching and learning process.

During the competition screening process, 751 videos advanced to the regional level from the 1,263 videos evaluated at the council level. Of these, 232 videos were selected to proceed to the national level.