For a child with a disability or special educational need, the difference between being identified early and being identified years later can shape an entire educational journey. A child who is assessed early can receive appropriate support, assistive devices, specialised teaching and referrals to health or rehabilitation services.
A child whose needs remain unnoticed may enter school without the support required to learn, communicate and participate effectively. In Tanzania, early identification has become increasingly important as the country works towards a more inclusive education system. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has recognised the need for stronger systems to identify and assess learners with special needs, while HakiElimu has intensified
advocacy around the establishment and strengthening of Educational Support, Resource and Assessment Centres, commonly known as ESRACs.
The urgency is visible in education statistics. According to the Ministry of Education’s 2025 learning product on in-school screening, identification and assessment, children with disabilities accounted for only 0.4 percent of all children enrolled in pre-primary education in Tanzania in 2023, equivalent to 6,892 children.
At primary level, children with disabilities represented 0.7 percent, or 74,295 pupils. These figures do not necessarily mean that disability is rare among Tanzanian children. Rather, they raise an important question about how many children remain unidentified, out of school or unable to access the support they need.
Globally, the situation is also concerning. The Ministry’s 2025 document, drawing on the United Nations Disability and Development Report 2024, notes that only 11 percent of primary-school- aged children with disabilities globally are enrolled and remain in school. For Tanzania, this highlights why identifying children early is not simply an educational exercise. It is part of ensuring that children are not excluded from their right to learn and
develop.
Early identification does not simply mean deciding that a child has a disability. It involves recognising developmental, learning, communication, sensory, physical or behavioural difficulties and understanding the support a child requires. A child may struggle to hear, see, communicate, read, write, concentrate or interact with others.
Without proper assessment, these difficulties can easily be misunderstood. A child may be labelled lazy, stubborn, slow or poorly behaved when the real problem is an unidentified learning or developmental need. Professional assessment helps teachers and parents understand a child’s strengths and challenges while allowing education and health professionals to determine appropriate interventions.
The Ministry’s National Guidelines for Identification and Assessment of Children/Learners with Special Educational Needs provide a structured framework for identifying and assessing children with special needs.
The Education and Training Policy 2014, 2023 Edition also recognises the importance of improving identification and assessment systems at all levels of education. Educational Support, Resource and Assessment Centres are intended to provide an important bridge between children, families, schools and specialized services.
Tanzania has set a target for every region to establish a well-equipped ESRAC, although progress towards this target has remained limited. The centers are intended to ensure that children showing signs of disability receive timely assessment and appropriate support. Evidence from the government’s Disability Inclusive Development Inclusive Futures Task Order 51 project shows what can happen when screening is brought closer to schools and communities.
The four-year project operates in Misungwi District Council in Mwanza Region, Shinyanga District Council and Shinyanga Municipal Council. Universal screening was conducted in 49 targeted schools, identifying 1,632 pupils with disabilities who had previously not been adequately recognised.
The project supported the construction of two ESRACs and the renovation of one across the three councils. Pupils identified through screening were assessed and linked to services including referrals, placement, learning support and assistive devices. The results also varied significantly between schools. Mitindo Primary School in Misungwi recorded a disability enrolment rate of 14.79 percent, while Buhangija Primary School recorded 11.96 percent and Iselamaganzi Primary School 7.4 percent. Other schools recorded rates as low as 0.3 percent.
The Ministry’s report notes that schools hosting ESRACs had higher concentrations of enrolled pupils with disabilities, suggesting that proximity to assessment and support services can influence access.
These figures tell an important story. Sometimes the problem is not that children with disabilities are absent from communities. The problem is that systems may not be close enough to identify them, assess them and connect them with appropriate services.
When teachers understand a child’s educational needs, they can adapt teaching methods, classroom communication, learning materials and classroom management. A child with hearing difficulties may require specific communication approaches, while a learner with visual impairment may need assistive materials. Children with intellectual disabilities or autism may require individualized teaching strategies and structured support.
The Ministry’s experience from the TO51 project found that assessment results helped teachers modify their teaching methods, classroom management and communication. Teachers also reported stronger collaboration with specialists around placement, assistive devices and other educational support.
A professional assessment should ideally involve the child, family, teacher and relevant specialists. The Ministry recommends an education support needs assessment involving a multidisciplinary team, the teacher and the family. This can contribute to an individualised education plan focused on what the child can do and what support is required to participate and learn.
Some families may lack information about developmental milestones or available services. Others may fear stigma or misunderstand disability. Distance and the cost of travelling tospecialised services can also discourage families from seeking assessment. HakiElimu has identified inclusive education and access for children with disabilities as an important area of its work. Its Strengthening Accountability in Inclusive Education initiative
focused on identification and enrolment, teacher capacity and accountability among local
authorities.
The project targeted 4,000 children across Mpwapwa, Kilosa and Korogwe, including 500 children with disabilities.
In Ukerewe, a Community Education Register helped identify 47 out-of-school children with disabilities, many of whom were subsequently re-enrolled. In Babati, door-to-door awareness campaigns and school meetings were reported to have contributed to a 20 percent increase in enrolment of children with disabilities.
These examples show that identification does not have to begin inside a hospital or classroom. Communities can play an important role in finding children who might otherwise remain invisible to the education system.
The growing demand for early identification is also visible at the ESRAC located at Mwenge Primary School in Mbeya.
According to HakiElimu, the centre provided screening and early identification services to 203 children between January and May 2026. Of these, 143 were boys and 60 were girls. In the whole of 2025, the centre served 199 children, including 141 boys and 58 girls. The figures are significant because the centre served more children in only five months of 2026 than during the whole of 2025.
They also raise questions about gender and access. Boys accounted for approximately 70 percent of the children served during January to May 2026, while girls accounted for about 30 percent. The figures alone do not explain the difference, but they suggest the need to examine whether girls with disabilities face additional barriers to identification and referral.
HakiElimu’s 2026 national campaign, “Tuwatambue Mapema, Tuwasaidie Vema,” is calling for the establishment, strengthening and effective use of ESRACs so that children can be identified and connected to appropriate support earlier. A child can be assessed and still fail to receive appropriate support if there are too few trained teachers, specialists, assistive devices or accessible learning environments. Families may also receive referrals but struggle to reach the services they need.
This means that strengthening early identification must go hand in hand with investment in inclusive education. Teachers need training, ESRACs need qualified personnel and equipment, schools need accessible learning environments and parents need clear information about available services.
Ultimately, early identification is not about putting a label on a child. It is about understanding what the child needs to learn, participate and reach their potential. Tanzania has policies, guidelines and growing ESRAC services. The challenge is ensuring that these systems reach children before their difficulties become barriers to education.
The earlier a child is identified, the earlier the right support can begin. For some children, that early support may be the difference between being left behind and being given the opportunity to thrive.
The post The children we almost missed: Tanzania’s journey towards early identification appeared first on Daily News.
