a) Nursery School

Attending nursery school is compulsory but not funded by the government. This results in private facilities whom ask for school fees. Children who are four years old can attend up to three years and are primarily taught in Kiswahili, Mathematics, Reading, and Writing.

b) Primary School

Primary School is compulsory for children who are seven to 14 years old. Students have to complete a total of seven standards and pass their yearly exams. Even after the abolishing of Primary School tuition fees in 2002, there are many parents who struggle to send their children to school due to payments for school uniforms, testing fees, school supplies and after-school lessons. Government Primary Schools are taught in Kiswahili while most private schools are taught in English.

At the end of Standard 7, students must pass the Primary School National Examination in order to receive a Primary School Certificate and attend a government Secondary School. Students who fail the test may apply to a private Secondary School, however these schools are unaffordable for most students.

c) Secondary School

Government Secondary School is compulsory for all children who pass the Primary School National Examination. Since the classes are instructed in English, it makes it extremely difficult for students who are transitioning from government Primary School, which is taught in Kiswahili, to Secondary School. As a result, many students drop out before completing their first year in Secondary School. Especially children from low income families need a lot of support and coaching in order to pass the exams during the first years.

Secondary school is divided into two levels, Ordinary and Advance. Ordinary level is Form 1 to Form 4. After passing the Form 4 exams, students receive a Certificate of Secondary Education Examinations (CSSE). The top students are selected and proceed to the advance level of Form 5 and 6, which is mainly taught in boarding schools which means that there are a number of costs which need to be paid including boarding fees After passing Form 6, students receive an Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education Examination which allows selected students to enroll in a University.

Alternatively, after Form 4 students can go to one of a number of Specialist Colleges and Educational Institutions to study for a Certificate and then a Diploma. Once a student has been awarded a Diploma they can also enroll in a University.

d) University and Other Tertiary Education

There are around 50 accredited Universities and Colleges in Tanzania, however many families cannot afford the tuition and boarding costs. There are also other educational opportunities such as technical, vocational, and professional schools where students can be certified and trained in a range of different fields.