Senior government officials, development partners, researchers, civil society organizations, and Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) practitioners convened in Zanzibar for UNESCO’s High-Level National Policy Dialogue on Strengthening Holistic Approaches and Practices in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE).
The dialogue marked an important milestone in Tanzania’s efforts to strengthen policies, governance and investments that ensure every child benefits from quality, inclusive and equitable early childhood care and education. The event also reaffirmed the long-standing partnership between UNESCO, the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation in advancing holistic approaches to children’s development.
Opening the dialogue, the Permanent Secretary of Education and Vocational Training of Zanzibar, Khamis Abdulla Said, emphasized that the earliest years of a child’s life provide the foundation for lifelong learning, health, well-being and productivity. He stressed that investment in Early Childhood Care and Education should be viewed not only as an education priority but as a strategic investment in Tanzania’s future human capital and sustainable development. He highlighted that;
The recent launch of the Zanzibar Multisectoral Early Childhood Development Program 2026–2031 and the Zanzibar Declaration on Investing in Early Years as major milestones that reinforce this integrated approach. These initiatives establish a coordinated framework for investment across health, nutrition, early learning, safety and child protection for children from birth to eight years of age, reflecting the Government’s commitment to addressing children’s interconnected developmental needs through collective action.
UNESCO Country Representative Mr. Michel Toto explained that the dialogue forms part of UNESCO’s Strengthening Holistic Approaches and Practices in Early Childhood Care and Education (SHAPE) Initiative, supported by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. The initiative was established to support countries in implementing the commitments of the 2022 Tashkent Declaration and Commitments to Action, which reaffirm the right of every young child to quality Early Childhood Care and Education. He mentioned;
The SHAPE Initiative supports countries in strengthening governance, financing, workforce development, quality assurance, inclusion, accountability and evidence-based planning. Rather than serving as an external evaluation, it enables countries to identify strengths, address bottlenecks and develop nationally owned pathways for transforming ECCE systems.
Michel TotoUNESCO Country Representative
Representing UNICEF, Ms. Beatrice Benedict commended the Government of Tanzania and UNESCO for advancing the ECCE agenda and emphasized that every child deserves the best start in life through integrated support across education, health, nutrition, protection, responsive caregiving and safe learning environments. UNICEF reaffirmed its continued partnership with the Government and stakeholders through policy support, evidence generation, capacity building and initiatives such as TuTu Centers and market-based ECD Centers, which promote quality early learning, community engagement and women’s empowerment.
