Ho to Register a school or teacher in Tanzania
PROCEDURES FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT AND REGISTRATION OF SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS
Several stages are involved in establishment and registering a school. The details are provided for in the guideline for the registration of schools namely “Mwongozo wa Usajili wa Shule(1982)”. The stages are summarized as follows:
STAGE ONE: Permission to build a School by the Ministry”
Application in writing is made by a client to the Commissioner of Education under the flying seal of District Executive Director and the Regional Administrative Secretary requesting a permit to build a School. The request letter should have the following attachments:-
1. Client’s project proposal;
2. copy of a school site plan;
3. copies of buildings drawings which are certified by the District Engineer,
4. certificate of evidence of ownership of land from the recognized sector. Land area should be 3 ½ area at town and 7½ at village area,building permit;
5. bank statement amounting to Shillings 62million and above;
6. certificate of incorporation/registration and memorandum of understanding or articles of Association/partnership deed for the school which is owned by partners,company or institute.
7. If there is a need of using the name of saint the permission should be submitted from the recognized religious leaders.
8. Permit to build a school is granted by the Commissioner of Education by issuing a written document. Construction of a School can begin after a permit is granted.
STAGE TWO: Approval of Owner and Manager of a School
This stage is only for schools which have already completed stage one and entails the following:
Application by client is made inform No.RS.6 and RS.7 to the Ministry seeking for the approval of owner of school and manager of school respectively.
This is done after all the necessary buildings and infrastructure has completed to atleast 75 percent and above. The buildings are classrooms, Administration block/offices, library, students’ toilets and staff toilets, hall and laboratories.
The forms dully filled and recommended by the Regional and District Authorities should be accompanied by the following reports:-
1. the DistrictBuilding Engineer,
2. the District Health
3. Officer and the District Chief Inspector of Schools.
4. The Ministry approves the owner and manager of school by issuing a written notice to the respective persons.
STAGE THREE: Registration of a School
The stage is only for schools that have already completed stages one and two:
1. Application by client is made to the Ministry to seek registration of his/her school or Institution.
This is done after owner has put in place all necessary physical infrastructures, furniture, teaching/learning materials and has adequate teachers and the client has to fill in form No. RS8 which must be approved by the Zonal Director of Quality Assurer
2. Owner of schools that qualify for registration are issued with written notifications and registration certificates.
The registration certificates carries registration number of the school.
Local Authorities are delegated authority to register Government pre primary, primary school and Adult education centers.
The Ministry is however notified of the particulars of the registered Schools.
A: 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 institutions have set criteria for assessing schools or organizations needs to register with them and membership is awarded only when the registration criteria are met with the applicants.
Registration procedures
• The schools must first be registered by the Ministry as a normal school,
• The Owners should submit to the Ministry are quest seeking permit to apply to become international School.
• If permission is granted the school in question proceeds with application modalities with one of the institutions registering international schools.
• Once a school is registered as international, owner notifies the Ministry in writing providing relevant copies of evidence for the said registration.
Registration of Religious schools/institutions
Any religious institution/organization wishing to establish the religious school/institutions must first follow the three stages mentioned earlier on but will be required to fill in form No.RS.9 instead of form No.Rs8.
NOTE:
Any violation of the Act in this regard is punishable as spelt in Part VIII of the general provision of the Education Act no. 25 of 1978 section 59.
Who is involved in the Process of Registration of Schools?
School inspectors, District Education personnel, District Civil Engineers and District Health 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 access 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 client’s request.
Who is involved in the Process of Registration of Schools?
1. Village Government Officials and Ward Officials
Provide initial official information and the need for the service in their locality and certify whether or not the owner of schools is the legal owner of the land where the school is to be built.
2. The Zonal Chief Inspector of Schools (ZCIS)
Receives a request from owner of schools for the purpose of its registration. The Zonal Chief Inspector of Schools carries out an inspection to access the capacity of the management and administration of the school to effectively implement
3. 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
4. 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.
B: 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:
1. Trained teachers in recognized teachers colleges or institutions,
2. Untrained teachers applying to teach
3. 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:
1. Application form no.6 (RS 6) for approval of owner of a school and no. 7 (RS7) for approval of manager of a school,
2. 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..
3. Application form no. 4 (RT 4) for persons requesting teaching licenses
4. Notification of Registration part III of the register of teachers Form no3 ( RT.3) for registration of licensed teachers
5. 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.
