School in Zanzibar: ten years of compulsory education, in Kiswahili and English
In Zanzibar basic education is compulsory for ten years: seven years of primary and three years of lower secondary. At public schools it is free, in Kiswahili; in secondary education the language of instruction is English. Your child needs its own residence status, and child benefit stops.
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In Zanzibar basic education is compulsory for ten years: seven years of primary and then three years of lower secondary. At public schools it is free. There the language of instruction is Kiswahili, except for maths and science from year five; in secondary education it is English. Private schools charge fees and need permission to teach in another language. On top of that you arrange a residence status for your child: a dependant pass on your permit, or a Student Pass for USD 100. Dutch child benefit stops.
How is education structured?
In Zanzibar education is a matter for the island itself, not for Tanzania. The Zanzibar Education Policy of the Ministry of Education describes the structure:
| Stage | Starting age | Duration | Compulsory? | Language at public schools |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-primary | 4 years | — | not stated as compulsory | Kiswahili |
| Primary | 6 years | 7 years | yes | Kiswahili; maths and science in English from year 5 |
| Lower secondary | 12 years | 3 years | yes | English |
| Upper secondary | 16 years | — | not stated as compulsory | English |
The policy says: "by law school attendance is compulsory for all children." It dates from 2006 and is being revised; the education act itself dates from 1982. In 2006 primary education still started at age seven.
In which language is your child taught?
At a public primary school mainly in Kiswahili. English becomes the language of instruction in secondary education, except for Islamic studies. Kiswahili remains a compulsory subject up to O-level, an exam in secondary education.
For a child who does not speak Kiswahili, a public primary school is therefore a big step.
Public, private or international?
The policy says of private schools: "Fees are a requirement for admission in to private schools." If such a school wants to teach in a language other than Kiswahili, it needs permission from the ministry.
We did not find an official list of international schools in Zanzibar. Ask a school you are considering whether it is recognised and which curriculum and diplomas it offers. Whether Zanzibar's compulsory education also applies to children of foreigners with a residence permit, we could not verify.
Factor in school fees before you look for a home near a school. Public education is free, but anyone who wants their child to start in English looks at a private school, and then pays fees.
Which residence status does your child need?
Every child needs its own visa application for the journey, on its own passport. For a stay of more than ninety days the immigration service has these statuses:
| Status | For whom | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Dependant pass | children on a parent's permit; a boy over 18 cannot be a dependant | USD 550 |
| Student Pass II | minor children not on a parent's permit, for kindergarten, primary or secondary school | USD 100 |
| Student Pass I | students at a recognised institution, including adult children of residents | USD 200 |
If your child is on your permit as a dependant, it does not need a separate Student Pass for school. For Student Pass II the immigration service asks, among other things, for an admission letter from the school, proof of who pays the costs, the parent's permit, birth certificates and the parent's passport.
How does your child keep up their Dutch?
Stichting NOB supports Dutch education abroad, with funding from the Ministry of Education. That can be through an NTC school, a school for Dutch language and culture alongside the regular school, or through distance learning. Whether there is an NTC location in Zanzibar, we could not verify: check the NOB school finder.
What do you arrange in the Netherlands?
Child benefit stops. Under section 7b of the General Child Benefit Act you are not entitled to child benefit for a child who does not live in the Netherlands on the first day of a quarter. Tanzania does not fall under the exceptions. That also ends the child budget, because you only get it alongside child benefit.
Take the school papers with you: reports, and for older children diplomas and transcripts. Tanzania is not party to the Apostille Convention. A Dutch document is therefore legalised: at the Consular Service Centre (CDC) of Foreign Affairs that costs € 10 per document. Ask the school which documents it wants legalised, and ask the Tanzanian embassy in The Hague about the next step.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 3 of 5 of the journey: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Zanzibar or look inside the open plan first.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- Ministry of Education and Vocational Training — Zanzibar Education Policy 2006, compulsory education, structure and language of instruction — moez.go.tz
- Tanzania Immigration — passes, the dependant pass and the Student Pass with their fees (Pass menu) — immigration.go.tz
- Tanzania Immigration — Visa Guidelines, a separate visa application for each passport — immigration.go.tz
- General Child Benefit Act, section 7b — no child benefit for a child outside the Netherlands — wetten.overheid.nl
- Belastingdienst — child budget only alongside child benefit — belastingdienst.nl
- Stichting NOB — Dutch education abroad, NTC and distance learning — stichtingnob.nl
- Stichting NOB — school finder — stichtingnob.nl
- NederlandWereldwijd — legalisation of Dutch documents at the CDC — nederlandwereldwijd.nl
- HCCH — the contracting states of the Apostille Convention (Tanzania is not among them) — hcch.net
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