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CHIEF EDUCATION OFFICER (CEO) - SCHOOLS REGISTRATION

SCHOOLS REGISTRATION

The establishment and registration of schools and registration of teachers is a function that the ministry carries on a routine basis to ensure that provision of education to children and other persons is done in line with the Education and Training Policy of 1995, The Education Act No. 25 of 1978 and its Education Amendment Act No. 10 of 1995.  

Responsibilities of the Unit

• To ensure the implementation of the education and Training Policy and Education Act No. 25 of 1978 on Registration of Schools, colleges and Teachers,
• To advise the Chief Education Officer on matters related to registration of Schools and Teachers.
• To prepare and submit unit specific reports to the Chief Education Officer.
• To perform visits to regions in order to provide on site support to owners/managers and local authorities on matters pertaining to the establishment and registration of Schools and the registration of Teachers.
• Process applications for the establishment of schools/colleges/ institutions and approval of owners and managers of such institutions; and for the transfer of schools/colleges/ institutions, change of name or change of owners or managers of such institutions.
• To keep and update registers of Non government Pre primary, Primary, Secondary schools, Teacher Colleges, Religious schools and Institutions,
• To keep and update records of Public, Primary, Secondary and Teachers colleges
• To prepare and issue certificates of registration of Private schools,  

How to establish and register schools and teachers-

Definitions- It is important at the outset to quote selected definitions of concepts that are relevant in the establishment and registration of schools and teachers. The definitions are excerpts from the Education Amendment Act number 10 of 1995.

“Manager” in relation to any school means a person who is responsible for the administration and management of that school or of the activities of the pupils in the school, fees and in the case of any institution or organization giving instructions by means of correspondence delivered by hand or through postal service, the person who is responsible for its administration or management:

“Owner” in relation to a school means the Government, local authority, a person or group of persons owning the buildings of the school;

“Pre primary school” means the school providing pre primary education but where the school concerned provided pre primary, secondary or teacher education, reference in this act to pre – primary school shall include the school to the extent to which it provides pre-primary education;

“Primary school” means a school providing primary education; but where the school concerned provides both primary and secondary education, references in this Act to primary school shall be constructed as including that school to the extent to which it provides primary education;

“School” means any assembly, institution, organization or place, by whatever name called, which provides or where there is provided, for several or more persons whether or not at the same time, pre primary, primary, secondary, teacher education or adult education and in the case of instruction given by hand or through postal service, the place where the instruction is prepared or where the work of the pupils is received dispatched, or examined but does not include:-

• Any institution of that kind which is established by or under any written laws;
• Any assembly, institution, organization or place in respect of which the Minister is satisfied that its sole or main purpose is to provide for religious instruction school;
• Any institution maintained by a religious organization for the purpose of training for the ordained ministry or for admission to a religious order, operating under a license issued by the Minister;
• Any club established for any consisting substantially or persons under the age of eighteen years, notwithstanding that instruction is given therein, where the establishment of the club has been approved in writing by the Minister for the time being responsible for culture and the approval has not been withdrawn.

“Secondary school” means a school providing secondary education, but where the school concerned provides secondary, primary, pre-primary and/or teacher education reference in the Act to secondary school include that school to the extent to which it provides secondary education;

“Teacher” means any person registered as a teacher under this Act.

Procedures for the establishment and registration of schools 

Registration of schools

Several stages are involved in establishing and registering a school. The details are provided for in the guideline for the registration of schools namely

“ Mwongozo wa Usajili wa Shule (1982) .. However the stages are: broadly explained as hereunder;

STAGE ONE: Ministry permit to build a school

• Application in writing is made by a client to the Chief Education Officer in the ministry via the relevant District Executive Director and the Regional Administrative Secretary requesting permit to establish a school – The request in accompanied by the client’s project proposal, copies of site plan of the school, school buildings drawings/plan, certificates of ownership of land by owner of the proposed school.

• Permit to build schools infrastructure is granted by the ministry (The chief Education Officer) through issuing of a written permit to build a school, construction of school begins.

STAGE TWO: approval of owner of school and of manager of school

The stage is only for schools that have already completed stage one and entails the following:  

• Application by client is made in Form No.RS 6 and No. RS 7 to the Ministry seeking approval of owner of school and manager of school. This is done after owner has put in place necessary basic physical infrastructure, school furniture, teaching learning materials, has potential human resources and has been inspected by relevant District Authorities including The district building Engineer, the District Health Officer, The District Chief inspector of Schools and has been recommended by the relevant district committee on education and Regional Administrative Authority.

• Ministry grants approval of ownership and management of school through issuing written notices to the respective owners and managers.  

STAGE THREE: Application for Registration of a school

The stage is only for schools that have already completed stages one and two.

• Application by client is made to the Ministry to seek registration of his school/institution. This is done after owner has put in place all necessary physical infrastructures, furniture, teaching learning materials and has adequate supply of teachers and has sought approval of the Zonal Chief Inspector of Schools.

• Owners of Schools that qualify for registration are issued with written notifications and registration certificates. The registration certificate carries a registration number of the school.

Local Authorities are delegated authority to register government pre primary, primary schools and Adult education centers. The Ministry is however notified of the particulars of the registered schools. 

Registration of International schools

The Ministry does not register International schools but recognizes schools that have been approved by any of the institutions that register International schools like the European Council for International Schools. (ECIS) or Association of International schools in Africa (AISA).. Both of these institutions have set criteria for assessing schools or organizations wanting to register with them and membership is awarded only when the registration criteria are met by the applicants.  

Registration procedure

Every school wishing to go International must:

• Be registered by the ministry as a normal school,
• Submit to the ministry a request seeking permit to apply to become international.
• If permit is granted the school in question proceeds with its application modalities with one of the institutions registering international schools.
• When a school succeeds to be registered as international it notifies the ministry in writing, providing relevant copies of evidence for the said registration.

Following is the list of International schools in Tanzania 

The Education Act no. 25 of 1978 parts IV and VI, The Education amendment Act no. 10 of 1995 and The Education Regulations 2002 specifically articulate the conditions for the establishment and registration of schools and teachers. Any violation/breach of the act in this regard is punishable as spelt in Part VIII of general provisions of the Education Act no 25 of 1978 – section 59.

Registration of teachers

Registration of teachers is done in accordance with The Education Act no. 25 of 1978 part VI, The Education amendment Act no. 10 of 1995 and The Education Regulations 2002.

Three categories of personnel for teaching are registered:

• Trained teachers in recognized teachers colleges or institutions,
• Untrained teachers applying to teach
• Trained teachers of foreign origin applying to teach in Tanzania

Trained teachers

• A trained teacher signs an agreement with the employer according to the Teachers’ Service Commission regulations 1990 when he/she takes up his/her service post for the first time.
• He is registered in a specific register (register part. II) as a probationary teacher.

• After successfully completing a 2 year period of probation he is registered under Registration part I of the register of teachers who have been confirmed to the service post and he is issued with a registration Certificate

Untrained teachers and trained teachers of foreign origin  

• Requests are made by individuals wishing to be issued with teaching licenses through relevant school managements to the ministry via the Zonal Chief Inspector of schools and Chief Inspector Schools. The requests indicate particulars of individuals: professional, academic and personal, including whether or not they are nationals or foreigners.
• Zonal and Chief Inspectors of schools scrutinize requests and make recommendations to the Chief Education Officer,
• Further scrutiny of the requests is made by a special committee of the ministry chaired by the Director of Administration and Personnel and necessary recommendation to the Minister made,
• Minister approves the prospective requests for issuing teaching Licenses
• The Chief Education Officer then endorses and issues teaching licenses
• Licensed teachers are registered in Registration part III of the register of teachers.  

Guideline for registration of schools 1982 “Mwongozo wa Usajili wa Shule 1982”.

A guideline is available on request to the ministry for registration of schools. The guideline translates The Education Act and regulations into usable instruments for enforcing the said parts of the Education Act.

Some common features of the stated guideline (and their revised versions in brackets) include:

Application form no. 6 (RS 6) for approval of owner of a school and no. 7 (RS7) for approval of manager of a school,

Application forms no 8 (RS 8) for registration of non government schools and no. 8a (RS 9) for licensing and registration of religious schools/institutions..

Application form no. 4 (RT 4) for persons requesting teaching licenses

Notification of Registration part III of the register of teachers Form no3 ( RT.3) for registration of licensed teachers  

Certificate and Notification of Registration part I of the register of teachers form no1 (RT.I) for registration of teachers who have been confirmed to the service post after successfully completing a 2 year period of probation.

Who is involved in the process of registration of schools and teachers?  

• School Inspectors, District Education personnel, District Civil Engineers and District Heath officials have a collective central role to play in certifying the preparedness of the client to establish a school and the safety and health of the learning environment. Reports from these officials help the District Councils/Municipals to assess and make requisite recommendations as they forward the requests for ownership and management of schools or hiring teachers to the relevant Regional Education Officers. The reports also help the Ministry to make informed decision on clients’ requests.
• Village government officials and Ward Officials-Provide initial official information on:

The need for the education service in their locality and;

Certifying the owner of school as the owner of the land where the school is to be built.

The Zonal Chief Inspector of schools- In the case of registration of schools, the requests to register schools are made to the Chief Education Officer (formerly the Commissioner for Education) through the Zonal Chief Inspector of schools. The zonal school inspectors carry out an inspection to assess the management and administration of the school with regard to effective implementation of the school curriculum and the general running of the school. The report is sent to the ministry along with a completed registration form No.RS.8 or No. RS 9 depending on the nature of the school to be registered.

Local Authorities and Regional Administrations oversee all developmental issues of the areas under their jurisdiction. They have a direct role of making decisions on the type of programs to be run their areas and meet some of their running and administrative costs such as for the construction of primary schools and Community day secondary schools. They play a leading advocacy role to the communities towards developing the education sector. They feature well during the process of approval of management and ownership of schools and registration of schools

Chief Education Officer and the Minister for Education- During the process of approval of management and ownership of schools and registration of schools, the Chief Education Officer approves manager of a school and the registration of schools and licensed teachers while the Minister approves owner of school.

What type of schools, institutions and teachers are registered?

The Ministry of Education and Culture registers all schools, both governments and non-government.

Schools registered are: Pre primary Schools , primary Schools , Secondary Schools, Teachers Colleges, Religious Schools or Seminaries and Adult Education Centers .