President Samia Suluhu Hassan has called on Tanzanian education authorities to consider introducing Chinese language courses alongside other foreign languages currently taught in the country. The President made the remarks on September 24, 2024, during the inauguration of an English-medium school in Songea, a district in southwestern Tanzania.
“We have reformed our education curriculum and policy to align with global trends. However, I urge you to consider other languages that could be economically beneficial for us to teach our children. This will allow them to engage more effectively with countries we have economic ties with. For example, Chinese,” President Samia said, addressing Education Minister Adolf Mkenda.
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The President noted that 68 local councils across Tanzania have established publicly run English-medium schools, signaling a broader shift toward preparing students for a globalized economy.
“The Chinese are becoming a global superpower, even though they still consider themselves part of the developing world. But they are a superpower,” President Samia emphasized to an audience of school staff, parents, and other stakeholders at the opening of Chief Zulu Primary School.
She continued, “The Chinese will remain part of our economies, because let’s not hide the truth, the dominant force in the African economy is China, and for you to engage well with them, you must understand their language. You must know their language. So that’s my proposal, not out of preference, but that’s the reality, that’s the truth.”
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Tanzania-China relations have deepened in recent years, following two state visits by President Samia. The first occurred in November 2022, while the second took place in September 2024 during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit.
China is Tanzania’s largest leading source of imports. Additionally, Chinese companies have secured the largest share of construction contracts in Tanzania.
In education, most China-Tanzania collaboration has been at the university level, with notable projects at the University of Dar es Salaam. The Confucius Institute, housed at the university, offers Chinese language training to Tanzanian students. Several students from Tanzania have also been awarded scholarships for further studies in China.
