Digest: National ICT Policy (2016)
Although this is a national ICT policy (not an education policy), there are clear lines that matter directly for classroom practice in Tanzania. Below is a teacher-facing digest — not about infrastructure, but “What does this mean for ME in the classroom?”
What the Policy Implies for Teachers’ Classroom Practice
1) All teachers are expected to develop ICT literacy
The policy recognises a national shortage of skilled educators using ICT. It states government will:
- promote use of ICT in teaching and learning at all education levels (3.1.2.2 iii)
- recognise ICT professionals and promote training partnerships to build capacity
Implication for teachers: Your digital competence is not optional — you are part of a national transformation towards a “knowledge society”.
2) Integration of ICT into teaching is expected, not experimental
The policy explicitly requires ICT to be embedded in formal education delivery but notes current usage is limited to a few urban schools (1.1.4).
Implication for teachers: Move beyond “chalk and talk”; plan lessons that include ICT where possible (even at small scale: phones, offline content, radio, recorded video, projectors, etc.).
3) Barriers acknowledged — but do not suspend the expectation
Policy identifies:
- lack of teacher training in multimedia tools as major barrier (1.1.4)
- rural access inequality
- language barriers (English-dominant content vs Kiswahili use)
Implication for teachers: You are not blamed for the delay — but you are expected to adopt ICT prudently and learn from other countries’ mistakes (avoid “buy laptops first, plan later”).
4) Local content and Kiswahili matter
The policy requires government to:
- promote Kiswahili in electronic services (3.4.2.2 iii)
- encourage development of local educational digital content, not only imported materials
Implication for teachers: Prefer or create ICT-supported learning materials in Kiswahili or locally relevant form, not only foreign videos/PDFs.
5) Digital safety and critical use are part of classroom responsibility
The policy stresses:
- protection of children online (3.7.2.2 ii)
- managing exposure to harmful or culturally unsafe online content
- raising awareness of cyber-risks and responsible digital behaviour
Implication for teachers: When using ICT, you shoulder a duty to teach and model safe, responsible, ethical digital use.
6) ICT is tied to national development, not just classroom innovation
Policy frames ICT as a lever for economic mobility, literacy, and poverty reduction.
Implication for teachers: ICT integration is not to “modernize lessons”, but to prepare learners for participation in a digital economy.
If Teachers Only Took Five Questions Into a Staff Meeting...
- How are we integrating ICT into lessons in a planned — not occasional — way?
- What minimum ICT skills must every teacher here reach this year?
- How do we create/share local or Kiswahili-aligned learning resources using ICT?
- How do we teach digital safety to learners when we introduce ICT?
- With limited devices, what practical, low-cost ICT practices can we embed now?