Times Of Swaziland: NO NEW BUDGET FOR SCHOOLS REOPENING

NO NEW BUDGET FOR SCHOOLS REOPENING
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BY MELISA MSWELI on 10/06/2020 01:21:00


MBABANE – It would seem government has no new budget for the reopening of
schools as head teachers claim to have been requested to use money allocated for
free primary education (FPE).
They have also been requested to make use of money given to them to cater for
orphaned and vulnerable children (OVCs).
The head teachers have been requested to use the FPE and OVC money to cater for
the needs that will come with the reopening of schools, mainly purchasing of
items that would make schools ideal for learners in light of the coronavirus.
Most schools will require sanitisers, water tanks and cleaning material, among
many other items.
All public primary schools get about E560 from government for each pupil under
the FPE programme.
Most head teachers have raised concerns that they had been receiving information
to the effect that they were supposed to use the money allocated to run schools
to meet the COVID-19 demands.
The Ministry of Education and Training recently furnished head teachers with
requirements for what is expected of them prior to the reopening of schools on
July 1, 2020.
It should be noted that the reopening of schools would be staggered.
Form Vs will be the first to start lessons on July 1, followed by Form IIIs and
Grade VIIs on July 15, as announced by Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini
last Friday.
The gripe of most head teachers is that the money has already been utilised on
other things during the first two months of the first term.
Government decided to close schools in mid-March as parents were apprehensive
about the coronavirus.
Books
The head teachers said they had utilised the money to purchase books, pay
support staff and the general running of the schools.
Most head teachers did not wish to have their names published.
One of them said a message was shared to him by a member who is part of the
committee involved in preparing for the reopening of schools.
The message reads: “The schools are mostly going to use their budgets to
provide what is needed. The ministry and partners will assist where there is
serious need.”
The message further touched on two challenges, which are payment of the FPE and
OVC grants which was said to be one factor that would delay the readiness of
schools. The second challenge was that the Treasury Department was not paying on
time for work already done and that would ‘frustrate a lot of progress.’
When other head teachers were reached for comment, they also said they had
utilised the money they received from government when schools opened earlier in
the year.
One of the head teachers explained that they normally received the funds in two
tranches yearly. The first tranche is usually half of the total amount allocated
for each pupil annually and the second is the balance.
Another head teacher shared that there were a lot of loopholes in what the
ministry wanted them to do as they had been told that they were yet to be
trained on the expectations regarding the reopening of schools.
“At some point, the ministry said teachers will be expected to be in school
two weeks prior to the reopening of schools. At the same time, we are almost in
mid-month and we have not started anything in preparation for the schools
reopening, but we have to be done by month end,” noted a female head teacher.
She said she even reached out to her colleagues, seeking answers, only to find
that they were also in the dark.
Chairman of the Education Cluster, Bhekibadla Magongo referred all questions to
the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Training Bertram
Stewart.
Stewart said Cabinet had not advised the ministry on the position about the
budget lines to be used to meet the demands for reopening of schools.
He said, however, information he had was that there was no new budget for such,
except what was currently available in the government systems. “We might need
to reallocate in some instances, but that  will depend on how cabinet will guide
us on this matter,” he said.
When questioned about the message that was circulating among the head teachers,
Stewart said he would not comment as he had not met with the chairman to discuss
the outcome of the latest meetings he had.
“Maybe he is still going to brief us as a ministry,” he added
Some of the guidelines given by the ministry prior to reopening  schools is the
setting up of isolation areas, making visible emergency phone numbers (COVID-19
call centres, police, fire, education, etc) and install, social distancing floor
signs or markings in every classroom and meeting area, among others.
Exhausted
The President of the Eswatini Principals Association, Welcome Mhlanga, also
confirmed that most schools had already exhausted the money allocated by
government for FPE.  He said he had not seen the message making rounds, but
could only confirm that government was not clear as to where they were to get
the money to comply with the COVID-19 regulations and standards as stipulated by
the Ministry of Education and Training. Mhlanga said what would help the
situation was government coming out clear on what was provided and expected of
head teachers.
“The only thing we can emphasise is for parents to pay on time so that we have
available funds should the need arise,” he said.
According to the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT), there was
never a budget to cater for the reopening of schools.
SNAT President Mbongwa Dlamini, said they questioned government several times
about the allocated budget, but they never got a response.
“We were simply told to work,” he claimed.