NFF ––Education | Saturday, September 12th, 2026––BEYOND ENROLLMENT: ARE OUR CHILDREN STAYING THE COURSE?
By Adveline J Minja | NFF & WTM
Getting a child into school is an important achievement. But enrollment is only the beginning.
A recent report in The Citizen raises an important question: Where are the 538,351 pupils who started Standard One in Tanzania in 2020 but are not among those registered for the 2026 Primary School Leaving Examination?
The figures should be interpreted carefully. The difference does not mean that all 538,351 children dropped out. Transfers, repetition, alternative education pathways, deaths and other circumstances can affect the size of a cohort over seven years.
Still, the numbers invite an important educational conversation:
What happens to children between enrollment and completion?
A learner may be physically present in school but gradually lose interest. Attendance may become irregular. Academic difficulties may accumulate. Changes in behavior may go unnoticed. Family circumstances may interfere with learning. A child may struggle quietly long before leaving school becomes the visible problem.
This is why educational progress should not be understood through examination results alone.
At Nurture Forward Foundation, our Student Learning & Growth Monitoring approach encourages attention to the whole learner—attendance, participation, learning habits, motivation, behavior, relationships, progress and the support surrounding the child at school and at home.
Examinations tell us something important about what a student has learned.
But observation, conversation and consistent monitoring can help us understand how the student is doing while learning, and help them learn how to learn, grow, and thrive.
Perhaps preventing school dropout begins long before a child actually leaves school.
NFF Reflection: What early signs should parents, teachers and schools pay closer attention to before a learner becomes disconnected from education?
Read the story that prompted our reflection:
The Citizen — Where are the 538,351 pupils who started school in 2020 in Tanzania?
Nurturing Lives, Empowering Families, Uplifting Communities.
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