Co-operative education and co-operative development: The Tanzanian experience

Abstract

Tanzania is one of many African countries where co-operative organisations after independence have been given a prominent role in the rural development process. Aspiring to be a socialist state, it has probably paid more attention than other countries on the African continent to the question of how to really make these organisations more viable. The Tanzanian Government has—like so many others in the Third World—increased the controlling powers of inspectorate staff who supervise the performance of co-operatives in the country (Widstrand (Ed.), 1972). It has also, however, initiated a co-operative education system which has served as a source of inspiration and as a model to other African countries. This paper is primarily aimed at analysing the experience and the effects of co-operative education in Tanzania. We are specifically concerned with the question of what has been its contribution to co-operative development, i.e., the strengthening of co-operative institutions in the country. Having presented the general assumptions on which the study is based, references will be made to the methodology used. The pertinent features of the history of Tanzanian co-operatives will be presented so as to offer a general background to the co-operative education system before proceeding to the analysis of its effects on co-operative development.