Tanzania exceeds infrastructure targets in national school building project

The Tanzanian government has spent 604.6bn/- over five years to build 676 new schools and 34,464 pit latrines to improve student learning environments.

Dr Festo Dugange, the Deputy Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office. Regional Administration and Local Government (PMO-RALG), announced these figures during a visit to Isamilo Primary School in the Mwanza Region. The project is part of the BOOST Primary Student Learning Programme, which aims to modernize education infrastructure across the country.

The BOOST programme has surpassed its initial goals by 40 percent. While the government originally planned to build 12,000 new classrooms, the project has delivered over 16,000 classrooms by the end of this year. The initiative also included the rehabilitation of 1,059 dilapidated primary schools and the rebuilding of 51 others. These improvements have contributed to better academic results, with the Mwanza Region ranking second in the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) 2026 results.

The government invested approximately 1.15tri/- into the BOOST programme to facilitate these constructions and provide ICT capabilities. The project uses a mix of funding, including 480 million USD under a Program-for-Results model and 20 million USD for operational coordination. Local residents, such as Ombeni Maduhu, noted that the new facilities have eliminated the need for children to walk long distances to reach school. The new buildings also include inclusive designs to accommodate pupils with special needs.