Mass adult education: a necessary element in the development of socialism in Tanzania

Abstract

In line with President Nyerere’s vision of Adult Education in Tanzania , also reflected by the second five year plan– Mass Adult Education had been a socio-political agenda. This article examines the ambitious and distinct approach to mass adult education implemented in Tanzania during the 1960s and early 1970s, particularly the programs supported by the Institute of Adult Education (IAE) at the University of Dar es Salaam. It shows how the Tanzanian model, rooted in President Julius Nyerere's philosophy of "Education for Self-Reliance" and the Arusha Declaration, was not narrowly focused on literacy alone but aimed for holistic rural transformation and socialist development through education. The IAE's mission was to reach the workers and peasants to encourage their active participation in the nation's political, economic, and social life.