Integrating Chinese Language into Tanzania’s Adult Education System: Policy Gaps, Lifelong Learning Opportunities and Implementation Pathways

Abstract

Tanzania’s educational cooperation with China has expanded through Confucius Institutes, university programmes, secondary school syllabi, and the recent extension of Chinese language learning to primary and teacher education. Yet Chinese remains largely absent from adult and non-formal education, despite growing interaction between adult Tanzanians and Chinese actors in trade, tourism, construction, and digital commerce. This article examines the policy and institutional basis for integrating Chinese language education into Tanzania’s adult learning system. It uses qualitative document review and comparative benchmarking of policy documents, curriculum materials, adult education frameworks, and selected African experiences. The analysis shows four main findings. First, Tanzania has a clear strategic rationale for extending Chinese language learning beyond formal schooling because language competence is increasingly linked to employability, business participation, and intercultural communication. Second, the adult education system provides practical entry points through the Institute of Adult Education, Folk Development Colleges, Community Learning Centres, vocational training programmes and distance learning platforms. Third, successful integration requires a localised, modular curriculum focused on functional Chinese for business, tourism, construction, community services and digital communication. Fourth, sustainability depends on teacher preparation, financing, monitoring, partnerships and adaptation to adult learners’ linguistic backgrounds. The article proposes a phased implementation roadmap for pilot testing, curriculum development, teacher training, digital delivery, and policy institutionalisation. It contributes to debates on language policy, lifelong learning and South–South educational cooperation in Africa.