This study aims to examine the challenges facing Tanzania's primary education in achieving quality education and make comparisons with other countries. This study employed secondary data analysis procedures. The documents reviewed were published from January 2002 to October 2021. Firstly, the documents comprised the government's plans and policies, as well as non-governmental and multilateral organizations’ reports. Secondly, empirical studies, namely scholarly journals, reviewed articles, reference books, and theses, were reviewed. As a result of searches conducted by Google Scholar, Taylor and Francis, Sage Publication, and Science Direct, a total of 50 documents were retrieved and considered for content analysis. The findings showed that despite the noticeable achievements, the learning quality and outcomes remain daunting in Tanzanian primary schools. Explicitly, the pupil-classroom ratio (PCR) is very high due to a shortage of school buildings to accommodate the rapid increase in enrollment of pupils necessitated by the Free Primary Education (FPE) policy. The textbook-pupil ratio (TPR) and pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) are high and do not match the desirable demands. Teachers have doubtful quality since there are low entrance qualifications for the colleges and they receive little or no in-service training. Also, teachers’ absenteeism from duty is overwhelming. The budget allocation and expenditure on education have been inadequate, resulting in a shortage of necessary school infrastructure, including classrooms and libraries. Moreover, the curriculum lacks relevance to the Tanzania context, and its development process is not inclusive of stakeholders. The academic performance of pupils in school tests and national examinations is not impressive and consistent. Similar challenges face Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya, which are considered case studies of developing countries, specifically in Sub-Saharan Africa. Developed countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and South Korea, on the other hand, experience language barriers in multicultural societies, technological bullying, classroom breakdowns, a lack of parental cooperation, and academic pressure and anxiety. This study recommended policymakers in Tanzania and Sub-Saharan Africa at large should critically rethink their educational plans, policies, and programs so that they can adopt the best approaches and strategies for providing quality primary education. This could involve more investment in education, researching on alternative education, and trying to embrace the out-of-school programs that continue to receive considerable attention in academic discussions

| Abstract |
1. Background
2. Literature Review
    •Policies for primary education
    •Curriculum reforms
3. Methods
4. Results
    1) What are the challenges facing the quality of Tanzania’s primary education?
    2) What are the challenges to primary education in other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa?
    3) How do the primary school problems in developed countries differ from those in Tanzania andSub-Saharan Africa?
5. Discussion
6. Conclusion and Recommendations
| References |

• Fedy Speditho Magidanga(Department of Education, Pusan National University)