THE government has unveiled a new initiative aimed at providing specialised training for nursery, primary and secondary school teachers on integrating climate change and environmental issues into their lessons.

Dr Aneth Komba, Director General of the Tanzania Institute of Education (TET), announced the initiative in Dar es Salaam at the weekend following a familiarization tour at Aga Khan Education Services (AKES) Tanzania.

The visit highlighted best practices in climate education, including hands-on workshops led by students and teachers that demonstrated sustainable practices such as waste sorting, seed planting and paper recycling.

Dr Komba explained that the new training initiative is designed to equip educators with the skills needed to incorporate climate change and environmental topics into their teaching.

The approach aims to enhance educational experience and promote sustainability.

The initiative is part of a broader curricular review conducted by the government last year which updated the 2014 curricula to include environmental issues. The review seeks to foster early environmental awareness among pupils.

“Our goal is to introduce children to conservation knowledge from the beginning of their education,” she said.

“By integrating environmental issues into the curricula, we aim to ensure that pupils can apply this knowledge at home and contribute positively to their communities.”

She also emphasized that the government plans to strengthen teachers' capacity to address climate change and environmental topics in their teaching practices.

“AKES has been a leader in integrating climate change and environmental issues into all education levels. We will apply the lessons learned from AKES to our curricula, ensuring that pupils are educated on environmental conservation and address degradation from an early age,” she added.

Dr Shelina Walli, Chief Executive Officer of AKES, underscored the organization's commitment to embedding climate change and environmental knowledge into every subject.

She expressed AKES's readiness to collaborate with other schools and stakeholders to share knowledge and best practices.

AKES operates Aga Khan pre-primary, primary and Aga Khan Mzizima secondary schools. It is dedicated to fostering a generation of pupils who are proficient in sustainable practices and learn through research and skill development.