Dar es Salaam. As Tanzania begins the 2025 Form Four examinations today, significant concerns have emerged regarding the high dropout rate of students Out of 595,816 expected candidates, 309,986 students, more than 34 per cent of those who joined Form One in 2022, have failed to progress to the final year of secondary education.
The Form Four examinations mark the culmination of four years of secondary schooling. This year’s candidates represent 65.63 per cent of the original intake, highlighting a worrying dropout rate that officials say must be addressed if Tanzania is to achieve its education and development goals.
According to a statement by the Executive Secretary of the National Examinations Council of Tanzania (Necta), Prof Said Mohammed, the number of candidates this year represents a 7.67 per cent increase compared to 2024, reflecting slight growth in retention but still indicating systemic challenges.
The candidates come from a total of 5,868 secondary schools and 813 centres for private candidates. Of the total, 569,914 are school candidates, with 266,028 boys (46.68 per cent) and 303,886 girls (53.32 per cent).
Among them, 1,128 students have special needs, including 860 with low vision, 70 blind, 58 deaf, five with intellectual disabilities, and 135 with physical disabilities. The 25,902 private candidates comprise 10,862 boys (41.93 per cent) and 15,040 girls (58.07 per cent), with 56 candidates having special needs, including 49 with low vision and some who are blind.
Education analysts warn that such a large number of students not reaching Form Four is a serious concern for the country’s human capital development. A prominent education analyst, Mr Ochola Wayoga, described the 34 per cent drop in student numbers as “alarming”, likening it to abandoning children midway through their education.
“Children cannot simply leave school without warning. There must be early indicators so that interventions can be made.
The education system must be examined to determine why students drop out and what alternative pathways exist to ensure children remain safe and engaged in learning,” said Mr Wayoga. He said that the decline in student retention reflects deeper systemic issues.
“Education should empower children cognitively and socially. But we must review the entire system, from primary education upwards, including the roles of parents, teachers, law enforcement and local authorities, to understand why so many students leave.
It is unacceptable that more than 900,000 students start Form One, but only around 500,000 complete Form Four,” he said. Improving school infrastructure is a critical part of the solution, he added.
“Classrooms, toilets, and adequate teaching staff are essential for students to attend and remain in school. Education systems must be adapted to meet 21st-century standards, with equitable resources and learning environments conducive to keeping students in class,” said Mr Wayoga.
Education researcher Muhanyi Nkoronko echoed these concerns, highlighting that many students drop out due to repetition or failure to register for subsequent years. “The system must ensure students can progress from Form One to Form Four without unnecessary interruptions.
Targeted interventions are needed to address the reasons students leave school, while communities must be educated on the value of education to prevent the perception that school attendance is a waste of time,” he said. In response, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Prof Caroline Nombo, said the government is introducing a robust data-tracking system to monitor students from early childhood through secondary education.
“This system will allow us to verify student numbers accurately and track movement across schools and regions. We aim to identify students who repeat, drop out, or transfer, ensuring that no child is left unaccounted for.
By registering children from birth, we can further streamline monitoring and provide support throughout their education journey,” Prof Nombo said. She added that even students who have dropped out are being given opportunities to re-enter the education system.
“Many have returned to formal education, while others continue through non-formal or higher education pathways. Our goal is to ensure that all children, regardless of past interruptions, can complete their schooling,” she said.
The government is also working with communities to ensure children are enrolled, attend school regularly, and remain in school. Prof Nombo noted that reducing travel distances by constructing schools in residential areas and providing boarding facilities has significantly improved attendance.
Purpose of exams Prof Mohammed stressed the importance of the Form Four examinations. “These exams assess candidates’ mastery of knowledge and skills acquired from Form One to Form Four.
The results are critical for selecting students for Form Five and for vocational or professional pathways in health, agriculture, technical fields, and other careers,” he said. “All preparations for conducting the exams have been completed, including the distribution of examination papers, answer booklets, and all necessary documentation to councils and municipalities across mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar,” Prof Mohammed said.
Preparations have also been made for candidates with special needs. Regional and council examination committees have conducted seminars for exam supervisors and ensured that examination centres provide safe and secure environments.
“Committees have implemented measures to prevent cheating and ensure that all candidates sit the exams calmly and within the allocated time. Candidates with special needs must receive their fundamental rights, including Braille papers for the blind, enlarged print for those with low vision, and extra time of 20 minutes per hour for mathematics and 10 minutes per hour for other subjects, as per Necta guidelines,” Prof Mohammed said.
With over 595,000 students expected to sit the exams, the focus is now on ensuring fairness, accessibility and adherence to regulations, while addressing the systemic issues that prevent many students from completing their secondary education. .