EDUCATION BUDGET STRUCTURE

Sir,

The total amount allocated to the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) in the 2019/20 budget is similar to that allocated in the 2017/18 budget (E3.45 billion).  Without knowing how the current proposed budget is constructed it is difficult to comment on its appropriateness in terms of addressing the current challenges faced by the education sector.

May I therefore encourage our legislators to study the structure of the proposed 2019/20 budget and consider the following issues when debating the budget later this month;
During 2017/18 financial year

l MoET was allocated E3.45 billion, however personnel costs represented the single largest cost in the budget (73 per cent). Only four per cent or E140 million was allocated to capital expenditure; new schools, teacher’s houses, computer and science laboratories etc). Was this optimally equitable?

l Whilst there was significant investment in primary education (free primary school education) which significantly boosted enrolment rates, (over 95 per cent) there seemed to be much less focus on secondary education where enrolment rates were estimated at around 27 per cent, dropping to 15 per cent above Form III. Over 80 per cent of students completing free primary education fail to complete high school? Are we therefore losing our investment in FPE to a large extent?

l Pre-schools and the Early Childhood Care and Development Program only received around 0.1 per cent (E5 million) and yet this is a critical area as over 50 per cent of children do not attend any pre-school at all, proceeding straight to primary school. Evidence shows that for the greatest impact on a child’s cognitive and physical development, focus should be on the early years of life, three to five years, the ‘critical window’. Preschools are historically in the hands of the private sector, but I suggest it is an area where highly productive partnerships between government, communities and the private sector would work well. Can options not be explored here?

I only raise the three issues above, which I hope are useful, but I do understand that there are many others to openly discuss, such as the budget for special needs students, amounts paid to primary schools for FPE, the need for additional high schools, and so on but I am sure our legislators will undertake the necessary research to ensure a well-informed, healthy and productive debate on education when the time comes. The size of the budget means little unless we get the structure correct!

John Weatherson
Mnyokane

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