Tanzania, March 24 -- Bagamoyo. The long distances students walk to and from school remain one of the most persistent challenges facing Tanzania's education sector, raising concerns over access, performance and student welfare.

Education stakeholders say the problem is driven by a complex mix of factors, including geographical barriers, scattered settlement patterns among farming and pastoralist communities and the tendency by some parents to enrol children in high-performing schools regardless of distance. In many cases, schools are located far from residential areas, leaving pupils with little option but to walk for extended periods each day.

Economic constraints further compound the situation. Limited household incomes, the absence o...