Why data collection in Tanzania plays a key role

Education is an important factor that can help improve a country’s situation, with constant adjustments to uncertain educational contexts, new societal demands, new student and teacher profiles, new teaching and learning methods, and the communications and digital revolution.

Data are therefore needed to provide a better understanding of the educational contexts in order to make the system more innovative and effective in identifying trends and possibilities.

Governments around the world are giving priority to data in their efforts to improve the services they provide to their citizens and to determine how best to adjust their policies to take advantage of new possibilities.

Data are essential to provide a better understanding of the educational contexts in order to make the system more innovative and effective in identifying trends and possibilities. Data are very useful in the formulation of education and training policies and strategies to determine the objectives and targets. Clear, relevant and sustainable choices cannot be made without reliable, relevant data.

Data are also important in the implementation of those policies. They make it possible to ensure that progress is being made toward the predefined objectives and can be used to identify and implement corrective measures to ensure that the policy objectives are achieved.

High-quality data are essential to measure progress over a given period and to verify the achievement of the results and objectives.

Thus, at all key stages in the process, analyses and decisions must be based on data to be relevant and beneficial. Effective management of African education systems requires an education monitoring information system (EMIS) supplied with relevant, high-quality data on a timely basis.

Despite the major challenges facing African countries, the future is promising. Many countries have an EMIS, although urgent measures must be taken to improve the collection and processing of data.

Data are very useful in the formulation of education and training policies and strategies to determine the objectives and targets. Clear, relevant and sustainable choices cannot be made without reliable, relevant data

Data are also important in the implementation of those policies. They make it possible to ensure that progress is being made toward the predefined objectives and can be used to identify and implement corrective measures to ensure that the policy objectives are achieved.

High-quality data are essential to measure progress over a given period and to verify the achievement of the results and objectives. Effective management of African education systems requires an education monitoring information system (EMIS) supplied with relevant, high-quality data on a timely basis.

Data (singular datum) are individual units of information. A datum describes a single quality or quantity of some object or phenomenon. In analytical processes, data are represented by variables. Data is employed in scientific research, businesses management.

In the same vein, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has called for collaboration among partners for the production of data to respond to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators framework. According to a report 40 per cent of the data are from traditional sources, we need therefore to tap the remaining 60 per cent from non state organ.

The amended 2015 statistics Act has provided an opportunity to challenge official statistics and also the NBS has the role to comment on the misuse of statistical information. Task ahead is for NBS to update the current the national quality assurance framework second edition to incorporate nontraditional sources.

We feel that the NBS should continue to collaborate with stakeholders, from both within and outside the country in strengthening the capacity of national statistics system to ensure production and access to high quality, timely, reliable and disaggregated data.

We congratulate the government for amendment of Statistics Act which now gives freedom to civil societies to produce and publish data which is contrary to the past.