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Accepted Paper:
Teaching Religion as a Subject in Tanzania: Curriculum, Content, and Contestations
Salvatory Nyanto
(University of Dar es Salaam)
This paper weaves through the story of religious teaching, content and contestations in Tanzania since independence. It centers on Tanzania’s secular education system and responses from religious institutions, students, teachers and believers.
Paper long abstract:
On November 30, 2023, Prof. Adolf Mkenda, Minister of Education, Science and Technology in Tanzania launched a new curriculum for Islamic Studies (Mtaala wa Elimu ya Dini ya Kiislam) in secondary schools. The Minister unveiled the curriculum in tandem with the textbook for Islamic studies and the Tanzania Islamic Teaching Association which would be duty bound to oversee the teaching of religion in schools. But leaders of the Community of Muslim Organizations (Jumuiya ya Taasisi za Kiislam Tanzania) objected to the new government curriculum because it was contrary to the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania which claims that “the government has no religion” (Serikali haina dini). That Muslims challenged the curriculum provides glimpses into the dilemmas, challenges and contestations which have shaped the production of religious knowledge in post-colonial Tanzania.
This paper relies on the curricular of religion in primary and secondary schools and interviews to weave through the story of teaching, content and contestations in Tanzania since independence. It centers on Tanzania’s secular education system and responses from religious institutions, students, teachers and believers. In the 1960s, Julius Kambarage Nyerere and TANU nationalist leaders envisioned Tanzania as a secular state and that under ujamaa (socialism), citizens were duty bound to fulfill their obligations to the society. Under secularism, the government attached no importance to the numerical strength of any sect or religious community nor did it submit to religious communities’ demands irrespective of their influence.