School and the Labor market:Some Tanzanian Trends

Abstract

The main purpose of this article is to emphasise, as has been argued by
other writers, that education and indeed the curriculum playa very subordinate
role in employment creation for schoolleavers. Unemployment amongst school
leavers should not therefore be viewed as it problem resulting from the wrong
curriculum, TfJere is much historical evidence to show that from classical colonialism
up to the Musoma Resolution' in 1974 the curriculum has been given an
agricultural, commercial and wchnical bias. Neverthckss, this dhersification of
curriculum has not been abie to solve the lwin problems of under-employment
and unemployment. The root'. of this hnvcto be sought both in the political
economy and, in particular, in the employment trends. the lalter never having
been concentrated in agricu\turnJ or technical fields. Manifested in-these trends
are patterns of investment which divert national resources away from productive
sectors into formal schooling and over-extended, unproductive establishments.