Collaborating to Build Education System Capacity in Zanzibar, Tanzania Sustainably
The foundation of a thriving society is a strong education system, and collaborative government partnerships can unlock opportunities at scale for years to come. Together, Axum, Hempel Foundation, TeachUNITED, and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, have demonstrated through Elimu-Soko how these partnerships can significantly enhance the quality of education.
Elimu-Soko is a systems change initiative, which partners with governments to understand the needs of public education systems, and then identifies innovators who can meet those needs. In Zanzibar, the identified need was teacher training, with an emphasis on coaching. Following a competitive selection process run by Elimu-Soko, the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar chose TeachUNITED as the innovator to meet its needs. The Hempel Foundation provided financial support for this pilot program.
Between January and July 2024, TeachUNITED ran its pilot program in Zanzibar. This pilot project aimed to improve the skills of over 200 educators and boost math and literacy scores for more than 20,500 primary students, building the foundational skills they need to thrive in the classroom and beyond. By the end of the program, 9x as many students scored proficient in math, and 6x as many students reached reading benchmarks.
The project aimed to improve learning at scale via TeachUNITED’s educator coaching program that has the potential to reach all 490,000 students in Zanzibar at $1 per student. Educators were trained on teaching strategies that are proven to help students catch up on 2-3 years of learning within just one school year. The training was combined with job-embedded coaching to ensure the skills were embedded into teachers’ day-to-day classroom instruction.
Drawing from the learnings and successes of this pilot program, it is our hope that the following lessons will support similar capacity-building efforts and drive measurable impact for teachers and students around the world.
1) Center the Government from Start to Finish
Government partnerships provide the infrastructure, policies, and resources needed to reach larger populations — all essential for scaling impactful educational initiatives. This Elimu-Soko approach is an exemplary case where close collaboration with the government has laid the foundation for long-term success. TeachUNITED (TU) worked hand-in-hand with the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar to learn about the education system’s challenges, strengths, weaknesses, and goals and co-created a six-month teacher training pilot program aimed at improving learning outcomes for primary school students.
One such example of a collaborative, capacity-building step was the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan drafted by TeachUNITED and an external Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) expert. This team consulted with the government on its contents and then fully trained the appropriate government staff and Ministry officials to use the assessments outlined in the plan, monitor and analyze the results in an interactive dashboard (screenshot below), and independently run and own the MEL systems in the future should the project scale.
The government’s involvement was key to the program’s quick and effective rollout — supporting the pilot despite numerous challenges, including technology-related delays and program-halting flooding. The Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MOEVT) actively supported the project, ensuring its successful implementation and enabling the program to overcome obstacles that might have derailed a less collaborative initiative.
“The class environment is very key in supporting the learning and attendance of learners, and it is the teachers who shape the behavior and success of the learners. I applaud TeachUNITED for taking up the professional development of teachers as the formal training alone is not enough. The government is committed to ensuring provision of support to teachers.”
Guest of Honor Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MOEVT) of Zanzibar Khamis Said sharing his excitement around the potential of Elimu-Soko in Zanzibar
2) Support the System’s Most Critical Actor: Teachers
One of the most significant outcomes of the pilot program was its impact on teacher quality. The World Bank has found that teacher quality is the single biggest factor in student success, and one of the most powerful levers for addressing inequities in education.
With this evidence in mind, TeachUNITED is working to address the learning crisis in under-resourced systems by providing teachers with the tools they need to deliver an equitable, high-quality education. The organization co-designs custom teacher training programs with and for the educators of each community to help teachers adopt proven, high-impact teaching strategies through individualized coaching and engaging workshops. 60 rigorous evaluations prove that TU’s cost-effective approach to teacher training creates some of the most significant impacts on learning.
The pilot program in Zanzibar was no different. The pilot focused on transforming educators’ pedagogical practices, with the government backing essential elements like professional learning communities (PLCs) and instructional coaching sessions. Results from the pilot show:
- educators’ comfort in using data to inform instruction increased by 28%,
- teacher motivation increased by 29%,
- 39% more teachers feel highly supported at their school, and
- there was a 40% improvement in feedback given in their professional learning communities (PLCs).
Moreover, government backing provides sustainability to these initiatives. Today, the government is seeking funding to scale this training program, aiming to upskill 7,500 educators by 2026, ultimately improving the education of 490,000 students across Zanzibar.
“Before this pilot, I often struggled with keeping my students engaged and tailoring lessons to meet their individual needs. The traditional methods I was using didn’t seem to resonate with them, and I knew I needed a change. The program provided by TeachUNITED was a turning point in my teaching career… My classroom has become a vibrant, dynamic environment where students are actively engaged and excited to learn. Their performance has improved dramatically, and the joy of seeing their progress and confidence grow is indescribable.” – Is-haka Juma, Training Participant, Mizingani School
Training participants engage in a Unit 2 workshop
3) Engaged Teachers Engage Students
Beyond teacher development, results from this project suggest that educators’ motivation and successful application of evidence-based teaching strategies led to notable improvements in student proficiency in math and literacy. Educators are creating more effective learning environments for over 20,500 students in this pilot.
Check out this energizing video of a training participant applying one of our
teaching strategies after the student engagement workshop.
Compared to baseline, there are 9x as many students scoring proficiently in math and 6x as many reaching reading benchmarks. Students of teachers trained directly within the pilot had notably more growth than control students in math (53% in Standard 2, 20% in Standard 3). All students (within both the treatment and control groups) had huge gains in literacy, with reading scores doubling for the treatment’s Standard 2 and increasing 50% for the treatment’s Standard 3.
A student of Training Participant Is-haka Juma notes:
“When Mr. Juma came back from his training, things started to change. He began teaching in ways that made learning fun and easier to understand…
One of the biggest changes was how he paid attention to each of us. He would give us tasks that were just right for our level, and he always checked how we were doing. He would talk to us about our progress and help us set goals. This made me feel more confident and motivated to try harder.
Now, I enjoy coming to class and participating in the lessons. I understand the subjects better, and my grades have improved a lot. My parents are very happy with my progress, and they say that I seem more excited about school.”
Amina, Student of Training Participant, Mizingani School, Zanzibar
4) Remain Agile & Open to Adaptations
A final lesson from the pilot program is the importance of agility in government partnerships. Throughout the program, TeachUNITED and the Zanzibar Ministry of Education demonstrated flexibility, adjusting to unexpected challenges such as floods and technology limitations. For example, when it became clear that many schools lacked internet access, TeachUNITED worked to adapt the program’s delivery model, ensuring teachers could still access essential resources through offline tools and WhatsApp coaching groups.
This kind of adaptability is critical in ensuring that education programs can continue, even under challenging circumstances. Government support ensures that programs can pivot effectively when necessary and continue to make progress toward their goals.
Conclusion: Building Sustainable Education Systems Through Partnerships
The pilot program in Zanzibar provides a compelling example of the transformative potential of government partnerships in education. By working closely with the Ministry of Education, the program not only exceeded its initial goals but also laid the groundwork for sustainable, large-scale improvements in education quality. The role of the government in scaling, sustaining, and embedding the initiative into national education systems is irreplaceable.
As we look to the future of education reform, it’s clear that government partnerships are not just beneficial—they are essential. Initiatives such as Elimu-Soko show that with the right support from governments, education initiatives can scale, evolve, and, most importantly, create lasting impact for teachers and students alike. Through these partnerships, we can build a brighter future for millions of students, ensuring that quality education is accessible to all.