Tanzania Creates New Commission To Professionalise and Regulate Teaching Standards

Teachers Profession Board (TPB) and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), saying the two organs were established under separate laws.

Minister for Education, Science and Technology Prof Joyce Ndalichako cleared the air yesterday during the forum that brought together education stakeholders to discuss regulations of the newly created TPB.

The board, among other things, will focus on professionalising teaching by registering teachers, regulation of standards as well as maintaining professional conducts

The board is also expected to establish and promote the teaching professional standards and file charges on allegation of improper conduct against any registered teacher under the Tanzania Teachers’ Professional Act of 2018.

The minister gave the clarifications following the confusion that emerged among participants who were rejecting formation of the board, saying the new organ will be a burden to teachers since it has the same responsibility as TSC.

According to her, there is a clear demarcation of functions to be performed by the board against those of the TSC, since the two organs are made under separate laws.

Speaking during the event, the Tanzania Teachers Union (TTU) President Leah Ulaya said the formation of the board is a burden to teachers as they will have to pay for registration fees, licences and annual fees.

She was of the view that the board would increase a number of deductions to teachers’ salaries, reducing their individual final incomes.

She also spoke on the need to have an institution “that will cover all the expectations of teachers who are the majority of civil servants in Tanzania, our expectations are that the government will understand our concerns and come up with fair decisions on the matter.”

Upon establishment, the board shall also have powers to caution, censure, suspend from practice or erase from the registry any professional teacher who has been convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced for a period of not less than six months