Times Of Swaziland: GOOD NEWS FOR SCHOOLS, OVCS NEXT WEEK?

GOOD NEWS FOR SCHOOLS, OVCS NEXT WEEK?
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 BY SIBONGILE SUKATI on 14/03/2019 01:35:00


LOBAMBA – Great news could be in store for head teachers as early as next
week.  This is because Cabinet will be presented with a study, which may see an
increase in the Free Primary Education grant and the OVC support grant.
According to Minister of Education and Training Lady Mabuza, the ministry hopes
that the current Cabinet shall approve the results of a hybrid study that is
about to be submitted to Cabinet before the end of March 2019.
The minister revealed this information through the portfolio committee report,
which was tabled in the House of Assembly yesterday.
This was after Shiselweni Region MP Nokuthula Dlamini questioned why the FPE
grant had remained the same as it stood at E560 for primary school level while
the OVC support grant had remained at E1 950 since 2009. She wondered why the
ministry had not addressed this situation because the allocated amounts were no
longer adequate to cover the needs of the pupils.
Aware
In her written responses, the minister said she was aware that in some cases,
small schools did not get enough funds to operate effectively.
She said the ministry had made several attempts to review the fees structure
through studies whose results were never approved by Cabinet.
Mabuza said the results of these studies called for an increase in the fee
structure at both primary and secondary levels including the OVC grant.
“The ministry hopes that the current Cabinet shall approve the results of the
hybrid study that is about to be submitted,” reads the report.
The minister further stated that they were counting on the Members of Parliament
to support them as they continued to make requests for the increase.
Mabuza reported that the ministry had conducted several studies on the cost of
education per leaner, however, all these studies were not approved by the
previous Cabinet.
“The ministry, realising the importance of this exercise, resorted to putting
together the formula which was used in one of the studies and came up with a
hybrid study through the Planning Unit,” reads the report which was tabled by
the portfolio committee chairperson MP Noah Gama.
The minister said the hybrid study used a formula which addressed issues of
pupil enrolment, curriculum used in that particular school as well as the
location of the school.
Mabuza reported that the above three issues were the contributing factors to the
cost of education.
“As soon as the current Cabinet approves this study, the ministry shall
present the study to the honourable members with the implementation plan,”
further reads the report.
Issue
On the OVC issue, the minister said it was no longer under her ministry, but the
Deputy Prime Minister’s Office.
She said, however, the hybrid study to be presented to Cabinet also catered for
the OVC pupils.
She said the approval of the hybrid study by Cabinet shall inform and influence
all grants paid to schools by those involved in paying fees for learners.
“This means that even the OVC fund would increase with the application of the
formula.”
The ministry said it was aware that the delayed disbursement of the FPE grants
compromised the quality of education.
She said the ministry had also engaged the Treasury Department on the issue and
hoped it would be resolved soon.