Tight budget a hindrance to targets
May 18, 2003
THE just concluded ninth Education Sector Review workshop showed that although the sector was still on track in many areas, it was limping
THE just concluded ninth Education Sector Review workshop showed that although the sector was still on track in many areas, it was limping in some areas.
Government is spending 32% of the national budget on education. 66.6% of the total sector budget is spent on primary education. With a predicted shortfall of sh265bn next financial year, the sector is bound to limp even more.
Education Vision’s Fortunate Ahimbisibwe and John Eremu report`
UGANDA’S education sector still remained on track over the past six months despite the dwindling resource envelope.
The sector beat most of the targets agreed on with the Education Funding Agencies Group (EFAG) in October last year. This guaranteed automatic release of sh159bn in the first half of next financial year.
As opposed to the past, donors and government officials made field trips up-country to see the impact of the billions of shillings pumped into the sector and the impact of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) on the community.
The education sector’s performance was evaluated on the following grounds:
Budget performance
Government over shot the budget by 1%. Francis Lubanga, the Education Permanent Secretary (PS), said instead of 31%, government spent 32% of its recurrent discretionary expenditure on education.
The aide memoir presented after the ninth education sector review shows that government budgeted sh403.2bn for the sector this financial year with sh336.4bn (66.6%) going to the primary sub-sector as opposed to the agreed 65%.
More than half of the education sector budget is funded by donors and the achievement of targets is crucial for continued funding. The sector forecasts a budget shortfall of sh265bn next financial year.
The percentage share of the primary sub-sector budgetary allocation this year was, however, lower than the previous year’s 69.2% and 72% for 2000-2001. The rest of the sector’s budget was shared out as follows; secondary education, 15.5% up from 13.7% the previous year; business, technical, vocational Education and training (BTVET) took 4.1% from 4.3%; tertiary sector 10.2% from 9.4% and others 3.7% from 3.5%.
Teacher recruitment
The sector also scored more than 100% in teacher recruitment. A cumulative total of 122,055 primary school teachers had accessed the payroll as opposed to the targeted 122,000.
This enabled the pupil to teacher ratio (PTR) to drop to 55:1 nationally and by district. However, the projected ratio of 49:1 by next year is likely not to be met unless the proposed cut in the sector’s budget by sh23bn is reversed.
Godfrey Dhatemwa, assistant commissioner for education planning, said sh220bn was needed to raise the number of teachers to 125,000 so as to achieve the ratio of 49:1. However, he said, the Ministry of Finance had given them a budget ceiling of sh198bn. He warned that the number of teachers will actually come down by 4,400 if the proposed 5% salary increment is not effected.
Textbook procurement
At least sh11bn was spent on the procurement of textbooks under cycle eight. However, the delivery of the books to the schools was delayed because the ministry rejected substandard books supplied by some publishers.
Sh16bn is, however, earmarked for the procurement of textbooks for primary five to seven under cycle nine. The books to be procured include those for Agriculture, English, Integrated Science, Mathematics and Social Studies (SST).
However, the achievement in textbook procurement is likely to be undone by the pending closure of the Instructional Materials Unit (IMU) in the ministry of education. The unit is supposed to wind up next month.
Classroom construction
The ministry performed poorly in classrooms and pit latrine building. It, however, blamed its failure to beat the targets on local governments.
Of the targeted 3,694 classrooms to have been built during the period under review, only 1,302 (35%) were completed and the rest are at various levels of completion.
Only 89 units, 20%, of the planned 474 teachers houses and 1,459, 31%, of the targeted 4,774 pit latrine stances were completed and the rest are at various levels of construction.
Diversion of School Facilitation Grants, irregularities and delays in the tendering process by local governments and urban tender boards were also cited as the reasons for the ministry’s failure to meet targets in construction. The ministry said some tender awards had to be cancelled or repeated after massive irregularities were detected. Reports of shoddy work were also received from a number of districts.
Education in conflict areas and disadvantaged groups
The donors said special attention be paid to the issues of education in the north with specific short and long term interventions based on the recommendations made by the review. The districts most affected by direct conflict and insurgency are Gulu, Kitgum, Pader, Lira, Apac, Masindi, Kotido, Nebbi, Yumbe, Arua, Moyo and Adjumani. It was recommended that all funding opportunities should be made flexible.
Use of School Facilities Grant (SFG)
The review noted widespread abuse and misuse of SFG and other grants and was in agreement to institute sanctions against non-compliance with the guidelines.
The review recommended that sanctions must target identified errant officials irrespective of place and position and should not blanket the whole district. They also said sanctions must be in line with the constitutional provisions, the Local Government Act, Public Service Act and Standing Orders and other relevant legal provisions.
All the disciplinary actions and reprimands must be served to errant officers in writing and kept on record with copies to relevant departments. Re-centralisation of classrooms construction under SFG was, however, put on hold in view of the sanctions and that it was contrary to the decentralisation policy.
Use of capitation grants
The review noted that to enhance retention of girls in schools, the UPE caption grants formula needs to have specific percentages for this purpose. The review endorsed the recommendation that the formula should include specific percentages for supporting girl child education and sports.
A component earmarked for sports should be provided in the capitation grants to secondary and other post primary institutions.
An increase in budgetary allocation to the National Council of Sports was recommended.
The review also endorsed the recommendation for the need to find funds for district inspectors to ensure equity and quality in the provision of education, but not out of the capitation grant which is intended for direct benefit to pupils.
HIV/AIDS in schools:
The review noted that there is scanty coverage of HIV/AIDS. The review said that they could not discard the teachers who are infected. This would be marginalisation and stigmatisation.
Strategic plan for Higher Education
The plan will be developed through an extensive consultation process. However, suggestions were made for reorganising the format of the plan so as to clarify key actions, time frames and implementation aspects.
The review recommended that the plan should take due cognisance of global issues, market demand, research and development, rural development and transformation, the policy of privatisation and interface between university and other education sub sectors.
Implementation of new curriculum
The review noted with great concern that introduction of the new primary school curriculum has been weak. In some aspects, implementations are yet to reach all key implementors.
“Some new subjects have neither trained teachers nor textbooks, there is a mismatch between the new curriculum and the available textbooks, and particular problems were cited on Kiswahili and local languages,†the Aide Memoir noted.
The expanded curriculum, it said, can not be delivered within the time allocated and the Primary Teachers College curriculum has not been harmonised with the new primary curriculum.
The review therefore, recommended that the proposed comprehensive review of the primary school curriculum and implementation strategies be expedited.
Government is spending 32% of the national budget on education. 66.6% of the total sector budget is spent on primary education. With a predicted shortfall of sh265bn next financial year, the sector is bound to limp even more.
Education Vision’s Fortunate Ahimbisibwe and John Eremu report`
UGANDA’S education sector still remained on track over the past six months despite the dwindling resource envelope.
The sector beat most of the targets agreed on with the Education Funding Agencies Group (EFAG) in October last year. This guaranteed automatic release of sh159bn in the first half of next financial year.
As opposed to the past, donors and government officials made field trips up-country to see the impact of the billions of shillings pumped into the sector and the impact of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) on the community.
The education sector’s performance was evaluated on the following grounds:
Budget performance
Government over shot the budget by 1%. Francis Lubanga, the Education Permanent Secretary (PS), said instead of 31%, government spent 32% of its recurrent discretionary expenditure on education.
The aide memoir presented after the ninth education sector review shows that government budgeted sh403.2bn for the sector this financial year with sh336.4bn (66.6%) going to the primary sub-sector as opposed to the agreed 65%.
More than half of the education sector budget is funded by donors and the achievement of targets is crucial for continued funding. The sector forecasts a budget shortfall of sh265bn next financial year.
The percentage share of the primary sub-sector budgetary allocation this year was, however, lower than the previous year’s 69.2% and 72% for 2000-2001. The rest of the sector’s budget was shared out as follows; secondary education, 15.5% up from 13.7% the previous year; business, technical, vocational Education and training (BTVET) took 4.1% from 4.3%; tertiary sector 10.2% from 9.4% and others 3.7% from 3.5%.
Teacher recruitment
The sector also scored more than 100% in teacher recruitment. A cumulative total of 122,055 primary school teachers had accessed the payroll as opposed to the targeted 122,000.
This enabled the pupil to teacher ratio (PTR) to drop to 55:1 nationally and by district. However, the projected ratio of 49:1 by next year is likely not to be met unless the proposed cut in the sector’s budget by sh23bn is reversed.
Godfrey Dhatemwa, assistant commissioner for education planning, said sh220bn was needed to raise the number of teachers to 125,000 so as to achieve the ratio of 49:1. However, he said, the Ministry of Finance had given them a budget ceiling of sh198bn. He warned that the number of teachers will actually come down by 4,400 if the proposed 5% salary increment is not effected.
Textbook procurement
At least sh11bn was spent on the procurement of textbooks under cycle eight. However, the delivery of the books to the schools was delayed because the ministry rejected substandard books supplied by some publishers.
Sh16bn is, however, earmarked for the procurement of textbooks for primary five to seven under cycle nine. The books to be procured include those for Agriculture, English, Integrated Science, Mathematics and Social Studies (SST).
However, the achievement in textbook procurement is likely to be undone by the pending closure of the Instructional Materials Unit (IMU) in the ministry of education. The unit is supposed to wind up next month.
Classroom construction
The ministry performed poorly in classrooms and pit latrine building. It, however, blamed its failure to beat the targets on local governments.
Of the targeted 3,694 classrooms to have been built during the period under review, only 1,302 (35%) were completed and the rest are at various levels of completion.
Only 89 units, 20%, of the planned 474 teachers houses and 1,459, 31%, of the targeted 4,774 pit latrine stances were completed and the rest are at various levels of construction.
Diversion of School Facilitation Grants, irregularities and delays in the tendering process by local governments and urban tender boards were also cited as the reasons for the ministry’s failure to meet targets in construction. The ministry said some tender awards had to be cancelled or repeated after massive irregularities were detected. Reports of shoddy work were also received from a number of districts.
Education in conflict areas and disadvantaged groups
The donors said special attention be paid to the issues of education in the north with specific short and long term interventions based on the recommendations made by the review. The districts most affected by direct conflict and insurgency are Gulu, Kitgum, Pader, Lira, Apac, Masindi, Kotido, Nebbi, Yumbe, Arua, Moyo and Adjumani. It was recommended that all funding opportunities should be made flexible.
Use of School Facilities Grant (SFG)
The review noted widespread abuse and misuse of SFG and other grants and was in agreement to institute sanctions against non-compliance with the guidelines.
The review recommended that sanctions must target identified errant officials irrespective of place and position and should not blanket the whole district. They also said sanctions must be in line with the constitutional provisions, the Local Government Act, Public Service Act and Standing Orders and other relevant legal provisions.
All the disciplinary actions and reprimands must be served to errant officers in writing and kept on record with copies to relevant departments. Re-centralisation of classrooms construction under SFG was, however, put on hold in view of the sanctions and that it was contrary to the decentralisation policy.
Use of capitation grants
The review noted that to enhance retention of girls in schools, the UPE caption grants formula needs to have specific percentages for this purpose. The review endorsed the recommendation that the formula should include specific percentages for supporting girl child education and sports.
A component earmarked for sports should be provided in the capitation grants to secondary and other post primary institutions.
An increase in budgetary allocation to the National Council of Sports was recommended.
The review also endorsed the recommendation for the need to find funds for district inspectors to ensure equity and quality in the provision of education, but not out of the capitation grant which is intended for direct benefit to pupils.
HIV/AIDS in schools:
The review noted that there is scanty coverage of HIV/AIDS. The review said that they could not discard the teachers who are infected. This would be marginalisation and stigmatisation.
Strategic plan for Higher Education
The plan will be developed through an extensive consultation process. However, suggestions were made for reorganising the format of the plan so as to clarify key actions, time frames and implementation aspects.
The review recommended that the plan should take due cognisance of global issues, market demand, research and development, rural development and transformation, the policy of privatisation and interface between university and other education sub sectors.
Implementation of new curriculum
The review noted with great concern that introduction of the new primary school curriculum has been weak. In some aspects, implementations are yet to reach all key implementors.
“Some new subjects have neither trained teachers nor textbooks, there is a mismatch between the new curriculum and the available textbooks, and particular problems were cited on Kiswahili and local languages,†the Aide Memoir noted.
The expanded curriculum, it said, can not be delivered within the time allocated and the Primary Teachers College curriculum has not been harmonised with the new primary curriculum.
The review therefore, recommended that the proposed comprehensive review of the primary school curriculum and implementation strategies be expedited.