When private schools flirt with govt, students win big

DAR ES SALAAM: PUBLIC and private schools, long seen as competitors, are actually dance partners and when they tango well, Tanzania’s education system shines.

The government deserves hearty applause for creating a friendly atmosphere in which private schools can thrive, complementing public institutions and expanding educational reach. Take a case study of Monti International School in Dar es Salaam, when the government clears the runway.

Here, Kinondoni’s District Administrative Secretary, Warda Abdallah, did not mince words at the institution’s fourth graduation. She praised the school’s embrace of the Cambridge International Curriculum and its bold leap into digital teaching.

“We are proud to see a school like Monti laying such a strong foundation for future generations,” said Warda.

ALSO READ: Social protection secures civil servants’ futures

Encouraging private schools to innovate alongside public ones, she emphasised that the government’s supportive policies allow the education sector to flourish together and students are the real winners.

The school doesn’t just teach reading and arithmetic, they teach critical thinking, creativity and ethically safe Artificial Intelligence (AI) use. Ms Warda called this precisely the kind of modern, flexible education that Tanzania needs.

The government’s nurturing regulatory environment that is less red tape, more options, means institutions like Monti can bring global trends into local classrooms, backing the national vision for education that’s inclusive, global and future-focused. With learners aged one through primary, the institution has grown from a local ladder of success into a launchpad for young futures.

School founder Fatma Fernandes outlined bold expansion plans as a brandnew campus, with boarding and day options, full sports facilities (think pool and basketball court) and a host of inclusive initiatives for all learners.

“We’re building more than just classrooms, we are building future leaders,” Fernandes declared.

Thanks to government policies that welcome investment and quality standards without stifling innovation, private schools like Monti can focus on students instead of bureaucratic speed bumps. AI integration is often shoehorned into lessons and ends up as a gimmick.

Not at Monti. Fernandes makes sure it is used not only for student learning but also to free teachers from grunt work. Digital lesson planning tools save hours, giving instructors more time to mentor and inspire. Better still, systems are child-safe, monitored and aligned with national concerns around ethical tech use.

This dual-use approachstudents and teachers both using AI shows how government encouragement of EdTech makes real change in classrooms. Monti’s approach goes beyond academics. The school supports children with autism and other special needs, marking it as truly inclusive.

This is vital for complementing the public system, which often struggles to meet every learner’s needs. Ms Warda had it right: private schools working handin-hand with government policy can fill gaps and raise standards for everyone.

The DAS highlighted the indispensable role of parents. “As AI becomes part of our everyday lives, parents must guide their children and stay involved,” she noted. At Monti, parentteacher collaboration isn’t an afterthought, it is central.

ALSO READ: See Pride of Tanzania at the 49th Sabasaba Fair

One attending parent, Kaley Milao, gushed, “Monti is preparing our children for a world driven by technology and innovation. I feel reassured knowing my child is being equipped not just to survive but to thrive.” It is a formula that works: government support, innovative private schools and hands-on parents create an ecosystem that nurtures confident, forward-thinking students.

Digital transformation begins in classrooms

Tanzania’s push toward digital transformation is well underway, but it can’t stop at government offices or business parks. Schools like Monti bring that future into the classroom, teaching student safety, digital ethics, online research skills and creative problem-solving and that’s how a nation builds a digitally literate generation.

Government support through policy frameworks, infrastructure investments and publicprivate coordination helps these initiatives become mainstream, not sidelined as “extras.” Thanks to permissive land policies and supportive education guidelines, schools can scale up without unnecessary hurdles.

That benefits local communities, boosts employment and adds value to Tanzania’s broader development. Rather than fearing education privatisation, the government sees it as a partner in delivering modern, inclusive and innovative schooling.

A win-win alliance for education

Private institutions like Monti don’t dilute national education, they diversify it. They bring global curricula without escaping local values, expand opportunities and pilot classroom models that public schools can adapt later.

The government’s encouragement makes this complementary approach possible private sector dynamism meets public oversight, resulting in meaningful progress.

Tanzania’s education system is entering a new era and private schools with a social conscience can help shape it. Monti is proof that when schools innovate responsibly and governments maintain frameworks that protect standards while fostering innovation, students are the ultimate beneficiaries.

The graduation speeches at Monti, held under sunny skies in Dar es Salaam, were not just about diplomas, they celebrated a new mindset: A government that opens doors instead of building walls; A school that invests in values and tech at the same time; Parents and teachers guiding young learners toward global readiness.

That triangle government, school, family is how Tanzania builds its future: smart, inclusive, digitally literate and confident. In a nutshell, the government has created welcoming policies for private schools to innovate with such schools leading with curriculum, AI and inclusive classrooms.

And parents reinforce learning, ethics and digital responsibility at home and lastly students growing ready for a future that’s complex, digital and diverse The result? A triple-win for society. Students get tools and confidence.

Public systems absorb insights. And the country edges closer to an education system that works for every child public or private, city or village. So, here’s to partnerships over competition, collaborations over conflicts.

From Mikocheni to Madale, from policy halls to playgrounds, Tanzania is showing how education evolves when everyone’s rowing the same boat in the same direction. Monti is a model of how the government paves the way. Now let’s replicate it across the country, because every child deserves a 21stcentury education.