Discipline or Violence? Navigating Cultural Norms and Reform in Tanzanian Schools

This session will present and discuss findings from the 2025 Safe to Learn Benchmarking and Diagnostic National Exercise and Assessment conducted in Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar.

Guided by the five Safe to Learn Call to Action areas and benchmarking framework, the study examined progress, gaps, and opportunities in preventing violence against children in and around schools.

The session will focus particularly on the continued cultural and social acceptance of corporal punishment, the use of violent disciplinary practices, and the challenges of shifting norms in communities where such practices remain widely tolerated. Through presentation, plenary discussion, and roundtable engagement, participants will reflect on the implications of the findings for policy, school practice, community engagement, and future research.

The session will also explore practical pathways for strengthening evidence-based norm change, promoting positive discipline, and creating safer, more inclusive learning environments for all children in Tanzania