The Role of Primary Education, Secondary School Choice, and Teacher Placement in Developing Tanzanian Identity Since Independence

Mwalimu ("Teacher") Julius Nyerere was Tanzania's first president and architect of its postcolonial education system, which focused on the development of its citizens and the creation of national identity. Based on research focused on primary schools near Arusha and on teacher's training and work experience, this paper demonstrates how the education system contributed to Tanzanian identity at a number of levels. To begin with, the content of primary education prepared Tanzanian children for the specific life that Julius Nyerere envisioned for them. Then, those who passed the Primary School Leaving Examination with very good marks could enroll in one of Tanzania's elite public secondary schools. Students from throughout Tanzania mingled at these schools forming bonds that crossed the country. For teachers, this also occurred at the tertiary level when they went to teacher training institutions or universities. Finally, as teachers considered where they might end up teaching, the government once again placed them in primary and secondary schools throughout the country where they influenced local villages and schools about what it meant to be Tanzanian