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SCHOOLS SUPPORT STAFF BACK TOP-UP FEES

14/01/2019 08:41:00 BY JOSEPH ZULU

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MBABANE – “We cannot provide for our families because the Ministry of Education and Training is not granting top-up fees or increasing free primary education (FPE) grants.”

This is the frustration that was relayed by some members of the support staff in schools as they rally behind the idea of the Ministry of Education and Training loosening up the guidelines for getting same. As much as the ministry had good intentions when bringing about the regulations, the plight of the people employed by schools is beyond measure; let alone the incorrigible damage to the education system.

Top-up fees are the additional amount paid by parents to supplement the free primary education (FPE) and orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) grants paid by government to schools.

The lack of funds in primary schools as government stalls on granting top-up fees does not just end with head teachers whining about inadequate teaching aids, food, paying bills; but, families starve as well.

One of the people affected by the absence of top-up fees in schools is *Mfaniseni, 47. He is a security officer in one of the schools in the outskirts of the Manzini Region. He said life was just hard for him despite that he was employed.

The security guard said despite being exposed to all weather conditions at his workstation, the most hardship he experienced was failing to provide for his children during the festive season. He was last paid at the end of November, 2018.

Mfaniseni said this (failing to provide for his family in December) had become a norm in his life since 2013. This, he said, was because the school’s administration had since then informed him that money to remunerate him got exhausted before the year ends.

“The head teacher usually informs me that the money to manage the school is no longer enough as government pays minimal amounts for pupils. Therefore, I have to wait for January when parents pay to get my December and January salary,” Mfaniseni said.

meagre

He said the failure to provide for his family during the festive season made him feel less of a man – as a man should provide for his family. This, Mfaniseni said, was what the Bible dictates; which he abides to. The parent of seven children earns a meagre E1 400 per month.

From this amount, he has to fund the education of three of his children. Mfaniseni said this was quite a quagmire as in January he tends to be reduced to a beggar in order for his children to return back to school. “Two of my children this year will be attending Form V and I have to pay for their examination fees and with such a set-up, I am not sure if I’ll meet the deadline for the fees.”

The security guard said he was not the only person who was not paid at his place of employment as another support staff member was the cook. He said the same applied to the cook in terms of remuneration as she was also last paid in November 2018.

This is not only a scenario in the outskirts of the Manzini Region, as *Celiwe, a cook in one of the schools was also last paid in October. The mother of two said while children in the neighbourhood were draped in new clothes on Christmas and Boxing Day, hers were not. “I can’t afford to get them new clothes from my salary as we don’t get paid and had to take a loan to do so,” Celiwe said.

She said if it were not for the stokvels, her family would not have food during the months she was not remunerated. Not only was Celiwe not remunerated from November until the first payment by government, but she last had a salary increment in 2015.

This means her salary has been stagnant at E2 100 for the past three years. This is despite that government, last year, introduced an extra one per cent on the value added tax (VAT) making it 15 per cent. Also, annually the inflation rate affects the value of commodities in stores. While all this is happening in the economy of the country, the FPE grants have been stationary since the inception of the programme.

grants

Currently, government pays E560 per pupil for the FPE programme. While the grants have not been increased in almost nine years, the intake of pupils under this programme has increased beyond measure.

Currently, it is estimated that there are 240 000 pupils from the over 600 primary schools in the country.
With these estimated dependants of the FPE grant, it is worth noting that from this year, government shall be paying for Grade I as well following the withdrawal of the European Union’s (EU) sponsorship of the programme.