Tanzania, May 28 -- Dar es Salaam. The debate over Tanzania's emerging "two-tier" public education system has moved beyond questions of infrastructure and classroom shortages.

It is now raising a deeper national concern: whether the country is gradually creating two different futures for its children based on their parents' ability to pay.

Across the country, a growing number of public schools now operate parallel systems. One stream offers enhanced English instruction, smaller classes and better learning facilities, often supported by parental contributions.

The other serves the majority of learners under the traditional Kiswahili-medium arrangement, frequently grappling with overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and limited resou...