Early childhood education in Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania and Zambia shares broad structural and pedagogical features, yet each system is uniquely shaped by its cultural and local context. The country narratives illustrate how early childhood education is defined, governed and guided by distinct national goals, values and principles, while also revealing how each system responds to current challenges.
Kenya: Early childhood education is organised as part of basic education and managed through county governments. A key feature is a clear pre-primary pathway linked to primary schools, with early learning often starting in local languages; participation and quality can vary between counties, and practical costs beyond “free” provision may still matter for families.
Read more about Kenya in the country narrative.
Namibia: Early childhood education is organised through an integrated approach that brings together health, care and early learning, with shared responsibility across sectors and age groups. A key feature is that pre-primary is defined as a distinct stage within this wider structure, while service delivery across widely dispersed communities can affect consistency and access.
Read more about Namibia in the country narrative.
Tanzania: Early childhood education is structured as daycare services alongside pre-primary education, and pre-primary is often connected to primary schools. A key feature is an explicit Kiswahili–English approach in early learning, supported by guidance and quality monitoring across multiple administrative levels, alongside ongoing efforts to expand trained staff and learning environments.
Read more about Tanzania in the country narrative.
Zambia: Early childhood education is framed broadly to include care, development and early learning together. A key feature is early childhood classes embedded within primary schools, aligned with wider curriculum reforms and linked to current language-of-instruction direction in government settings; expanding access also brings attention to class size, resourcing and consistent learning conditions.
Read more about Zambia in the country narrative.
