Law Prohibiting Child Marriage (Education Act)

Brief Description

According to the bill supplement published by the government of the United Republic of Tanzania on 20th May 2016, the government has amended the Education Act (CAP.353) as follows:

20. This Part shall be read as one with the Education Act, hereinafter referred to as the “principal Act”.
21. The principal Act is amended in section 60(1) by deleting paragraph (k).
22. The principal Act is amended by adding immediately after section 60 the following new section: 
60A. (1) It shall be unlawful under any circumstance for: 
(a) any person to marry a primary or secondary school girl or a school boy; or 
(b) a primary or secondary school boy to marry any person. 
(2) Any person who contravenes any provision of subsection (1) commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to imprisonment for a term of thirty years. 
(3) Any person who impregnates a primary school or a secondary school girl commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to imprisonment for a term of thirty years. 
(4) Any person who aids, abates or solicits a primary or secondary school girl or a school boy to marry while pursuing primary or secondary education commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine of not less than five million shillings or to imprisonment for a term of five years or to both. 
(5) Every Head of School shall keep record and submit to the Commissioner or his representative a detailed quarterly report of cases of marriages and pregnancies under subsection (1), (3) or (4) and legal actions taken against the offenders. 
(6) Notwithstanding anything in this section, the provisions of the Penal Code relating to sexual offences against girls or children under eighteen shall, where appropriate, apply mutatis mutandis in relation to primary and secondary school girls and boys under the age of eighteen.