The preparations for the coming year have already started.

Last year, the headmasters of the five middle schools had asked for support in establishing libraries for the students. For us, it’s hard to imagine that only the teacher possesses a text book. Most of the students can’t afford books. It is also hard for them to pay the school fees of 400 Euro per year. Some are only able to pay part of it. This also affects the running of the school, the payment of teachers salaries, building requirements and other necessary outgoings, also the meals. Consequently salaries cannot be paid on time or sometimes not in full. For this reason, the teaching staff changes regularly. A lot of teachers use the break between graduating from high school and starting at university for teaching at a school. Others change, when they can earn more money at a different school.

Shortly before we left Tanzania in the end of May, holidays started. In one school, we experienced an announcement in front of all students, of all those who hadn’t yet paid the school fees.



In Tanzania school is only compulsory until the seventh grade. Those who wish to continue their education, have to pay – no matter whether the school is private or public. The government does not support private schools. School education obviously doesn’t have priority.

Download the whole Report 2006 here.