Does leadership exist in early childhood education in Tanzania?

Abstract

Early Childhood Education (ECE) is the part of basic education that lays the foundation to the other levels of education. It is an area that requires leadership specialization based on the importance of this level and the age of children served and the current literature suggest that the nature and context of ECE makes it unique and worthy of independent examination and support mechanisms for quality improvement. This paper presents findings from a larger study conducted in Tanzania, East Africa to assess the differences between stated and implemented policies in Early Childhood Education leadership and it identifies issues such as ECE professional background, supporting structure, budget and resource allocations and gender and leadership that should be addressed in realization of a balanced Leadership in Early Childhood in Tanzania and other similar countries.