Provision of Quality Art Education in Tanzania: Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract

Quality education is of paramount importance to social-economic development. It avails the requisite human capital for production, and nationwide strength and competitiveness. Arts education entails knowledge, training, and formation founded on all arts. Quality arts education promotes emotional development, cognitive achievement, knowledge, skills, and competence of learners. Tanzania realized the importance of arts education mainly after Arusha Declaration of 1967 where the philosophy of Education for Self-Reliance (ESR) monopolized the education policy of the country. Such move was in line with Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which stipulates the right for individuals to enjoy arts. Progressively in 1997, the government introduced Tanzania Cultural Policy (TCP) where arts education was the hub and in 2008 the government introduced arts subjects in the secondary school curriculum as examinable subjects. Tanzania has continued to promote arts education in various ways and currently the government is focusing on cultural and arts small sectors as possible contributors to economic progress and employment. However, Arts education in Tanzania is facing numerous challenges such as; most curriculum developers do not place a great value on arts education, educational and cultural policies are not totally associated with one another, teachers’ colleges have few arts education programmes. Moreover, some societies do not recognize the discipline’s importance, which has breached its social identity and position in education. Thus, it is recommended in this paper that in order to achieve quality arts education, the government and other stakeholders should jointly work to provide the required support to secure enhanced standards in arts education provision. For instance, the state should avail and retain effective trained arts education instructors at all levels and arts education programmes should be reviewed to respond to the global needs. Conclusively, quality arts training is a critical aspect of holistic education and it promotes self-concept, identity, oneness, and diversity in society. Thus, arts education should be given the same priority like other academic disciplines in the curriculum.