The SAUTI ZETU Consortium, coordinated by HakiElimu, successfully convened a two-day Stakeholders Symposium in Morogoro on September 22–23, 2024. The event brought together Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and key Local Government Authorities (LGAs) for a high-level policy dialogue focused on strengthening the delivery of Inclusive Education (IE) in Tanzania.
The symposium aimed to:
- Facilitate collaboration between CSOs and LGA representatives to assess the current state of Inclusive Education in their regions.
- Share key findings from CSO-led monitoring activities, including the 2024 Public Expenditure Tracking Survey (PETS) and evaluations of the implementation of the National Strategy for Inclusive Education (NSIE).
- Document progress, identify challenges, and highlight achievements of the SAUTI ZETU project across the target districts.
Participants included representatives from the five implementing CSOs operating in Mtwara, Mbeya, Bagamoyo, Ifakara, and Mvomero Districts, along with 25 officials from local government authorities including District Education Officers (DEOs), Special Needs Education Officers (SNEOs), Quality Assurance Officers, Head Teachers, and representatives from Educational Support and Resource Assessment Centers (ESRACs).
More than just an information-sharing event, the symposium fostered collaborative learning and action plans. It provided a strategic platform for stakeholders to jointly address systemic challenges in the education sector, with particular attention to inclusivity. A key outcome of the event was the development of localized Joint Action Plans, ensuring that commitments translate into tangible improvements on the ground.
The symposium underscored the power of collective action in transforming education systems. Moving forward, sustained engagement and robust monitoring of the agreed action plans will be vital in achieving the consortium’s shared vision: an inclusive, effective, and equitable education system that serves all learners in the participating districts.