This qualitative inquiry into the Tanzanian education system is based upon a thirteen-month period of ethnographic research in Dar es Salaam and Morogoro. It foregrounds the political and economic background to Tanzanian teachers’ everyday lives.  Through an in-depth study of the Tanzania Teachers Union and a case study of a single secondary school, the thesis explores the relationship between pay and performance. The study argues that in order to interpret this dynamic it is essential to have an understanding of the history of work in Tanzania, as there are long roots to some of the most germane features of their employment. Particular attention is given to “teacher politics” and the research chronicles the profession’s efforts since the 1920s to find a platform for their voice through teachers’ associations and unions. Pivotal to this discussion are the events surrounding the 1993/4 national teachers’ strike and the establishment of the Tanzania Teachers’ Union. The Union’s 2000 elections are also covered in some depth. The final chapter re-creates the life of the school, and illustrates how these economic and political factors impinge upon teachers’ professional work and threaten the integrity and meaning of the school experience. The chapter foregrounds the school’s cultural background, and discusses the specific social and economic function that the school fulfils in teachers’ lives. Here the focus is upon the issues of teacher absenteeism, their involvement in additional money making enterprise and the controversial practice of extra tuition.