Parents, schools must support FPE

Without prompt funding from the Government, the free basic education and subsidised secondary education programmes put schools in a precarious financial position. Parents faced with more basic challenges like food, shelter and so on have long been slow to pay for education. The pledge of State-subsidised learning only worsened matters: Head teachers report that parents only pay about three-quarters of the total they should as user fees.Tuition may be free, but other costs have to be covered by money from parents. When their payments fall short, subsidies from the Government take on a greater importance. Thus, reports of a delay in the Ministry of Education’s remittances to schools are cause for concern.The Government, parents and school authorities all have a role in ensuring learning continues or is not degraded by the current financial difficulties.For Government, better planning and implementation should be the priority. Free Primary Education (FPE) and secondary school subsidised tuition are examples of politically expedient programmes for which planning was an afterthought. FPE was introduced in 2003 by the Narc administration as a populist measure or ‘quick win’ for voters. The tuition subsidies for high schools were 2007 election promises.Political ExpediencyWhen FPE was introduced, it was assumed donors would help pay for it. The response was less enthusiastic than anticipated and when poor planning meant some funding could not be accounted for, some parts of the programme were abandoned. The withdrawal of UK Department for International Development from suppo-rting purchase of school materials (which in part explains the crash of the remittance system used) is an example of this. If we are not to face similar crises in future, we need to make the programme as sustainable as possible.We need to ask whether trends in population growth, when seen against economic challenges, indicate future crises are likely. The experiences of other African countries that began offering free primary education before we did should be useful here. In particular, we could compare notes with Malawi, which has the most experience having begun in 1994, Uganda (1997), Cameroon (1999), Tanzania (2001) or Zambia (2002). Their solutions can help avoid a hand-to-mouth approach.Meanwhile, parents should be realistic about just how much the Government can do to eliminate user fees. Political will alone is not enough. If funds cannot be found, it will not be long another President has to declare (like former President Moi did): "Hakuna pesa! Hakuna pesa!"If we demand that teachers be paid better, that more police officers be hired, that school feeding programmes be extended and that more places be available at secondary and tertiary levels, the least we can do is pay taxes diligently and clear balances that are owed to schools. Allowing a minority to take advantage of subsidised education, health or other basic services without having to contribute to their running is only preparing for failure.Finally, it is to school authorities that the hard task of making the little they get go further falls: The amounts Government provides per student each year are modest (Sh1,020 in FPE, Sh10,265 in secondary). But they have been determined based on a number of criteria and assumptions, including prudent management.Recent years have seen headteachers receive training in fina-ncial matters. Measures have also been introduced to limit cases of abuse of office and fraud. Management committees that include parent and teacher representatives, for instance, have a role in keeping them honest. Improving the use of funds by limiting fraud and, just as crucially, waste is key to sustaining ‘free’ education.When Government is late with transfers of education funds, it is easy for headteachers or parents to raise a hue and cry. But if we lose sight of just how big a fraction of Government revenue goes to education, and how fragile the programme’s are, people may not provide FPE with the support it needs to survive and thrive.Complain, but also pay.

Parents, schools must support FPE

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Parents, schools must support FPE

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