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Making Family, School, and Community Engagement Integral to Zanzibar's Learning Ecosystem. Policy Report

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Making Family, School, and Community Engagement Integral to Zanzibar's Learning Ecosystem. Policy Report
Language: English
Authors: Emily Markovich Morris, Richaa Hoysala, Eshe Haji, Contributor, Brookings Institution, Center for Universal Education
Source: Center for Universal Education at The Brookings Institution. 2026.
Availability: Center for Universal Education at The Brookings Institution. 1775 Massachusettes Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-797-6048; Fax: 202-797-2970; e-mail: cue@brookings.edu; Web site: http://www.brookings.edu/about/centers/universal-education
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 39
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: LEGO Foundation
Document Type: Reports - Research
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Family Involvement, Family Role, School Role, Community Role, Community Involvement, Cooperative Planning, Policy Formation, Guidelines, Educational Policy, Participative Decision Making
Geographic Terms: Tanzania
Abstract: Over the past four decades, the Government of Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous region in Tanzania, has recognized the importance of family engagement in the learning and development of children in its education policies, plans, and frameworks. Yet, family engagement is often positioned as an add-on activity, rather than as a vital component embedded at all education levels--from pre-primary to secondary--and in all areas of the education system, including in the teaching and learning of academic, life, civic, and other skills. The vision of family, school, and community engagement (FSCE) in guiding education frameworks, which includes plans, policies, and guidelines, is largely concentrated on the representation of families on decision-making bodies in schools, and particularly in school management committees (SMCs) as opposed to the many other possible forms of engagement documented globally. The purpose of this policy report is to present findings on the current state of FSCE in Zanzibar and to identify promising strategies and practices to support an integrated approach to family engagement across education levels. This report starts with a policy analysis of key education frameworks governing Zanzibar's education system across all education levels, followed by a presentation of empirical research conducted with government secondary school families, students, and educators in nine of Zanzibar's eleven districts.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED682153
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:Over the past four decades, the Government of Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous region in Tanzania, has recognized the importance of family engagement in the learning and development of children in its education policies, plans, and frameworks. Yet, family engagement is often positioned as an add-on activity, rather than as a vital component embedded at all education levels--from pre-primary to secondary--and in all areas of the education system, including in the teaching and learning of academic, life, civic, and other skills. The vision of family, school, and community engagement (FSCE) in guiding education frameworks, which includes plans, policies, and guidelines, is largely concentrated on the representation of families on decision-making bodies in schools, and particularly in school management committees (SMCs) as opposed to the many other possible forms of engagement documented globally. The purpose of this policy report is to present findings on the current state of FSCE in Zanzibar and to identify promising strategies and practices to support an integrated approach to family engagement across education levels. This report starts with a policy analysis of key education frameworks governing Zanzibar's education system across all education levels, followed by a presentation of empirical research conducted with government secondary school families, students, and educators in nine of Zanzibar's eleven districts.