pre-primary programme that link with existing early childhood provisions (including health). Ccurrently, however, only three per cent of children on the mainland and 15.9 per cent (2005) on Zanzibar are in pre-school Tanzania has made significant progress towards universal primary education, particularly since the abolition of school fees in 2002 and the implementation of the Primary Education Development Plan (PEDP). After several years of hovering around 50 per cent, net primary school enrolments among children aged 7-13 have risen to 95 per cent, with very little gender disparity (96 girls enrolled for every 100 boys in 2005) - please see table below. Nevertheless, net attendance is lower (71 per cent for boys, 75 per cent for girls) indicating a need to improve quality and ensure retention. Table No. 9: Net and gross enrolment rates in STD 1 and STD 1-VII 2000 – 2005 YEARS 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Std 1 897,569 1,140,554 1,682,141 1,487,354 1,563,315 1,348.437 Std 1-VII 4,382,410 4,845,185 5,972,077 6,562,772 7,083,063 7,541.208 Pop 7-13 years 5,646,293 5,743,225 6,054.257 6,229,630 6,665,347 6,859,282 NER for std I-VII 58.6 66.0 80.7 88.5 90.5 94.8 GER for Std I-VII 77.6 84.4 98.6 105.3 106.3 109.9 Source Basic Education Statistics in Tanzania (BEST)-Ministry of Education and Culture 2005 The proportion of Standard 7 learners passing the primary school education examination increased from 22 per cent in 2000 to 62 per cent in 2005. Transition to secondary education increased to 36 per cent in 2005, but net enrolment remains extremely low (10 per cent). Gender parity drops at this level, reaching 42 per cent by Form 4 (‘basic education’ level). A significant portion of the 14-18 age group are left without access to the vital education, skills and training they need to assume their place in society. Dropout rates thereafter are due to pregnancy, early marriage, poverty, and prevailing norms 51