Govt urges parents to demand accountabilty from schools

The minister of education, arts and culture, Anna Ngipondoka, has urged parents to demand accountability reports from schools on how they use the ministry’s money.

She said schools require parents to buy stationery, while the government has allocated a budget to this.

The minister said this on yesterday during the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture’s Cabinet committee briefing in Windhoek.

“As a parent, you must demand to know how much the school has received from the government, what the school did with the money, and why you must contribute,” Nghipondoka said.

“Get involved in your child’s education and make sure quality education takes place with your contribution. Do what you can to assist, but only if accountability is given,” the minister said.

Nghipondoka said funds are distributed to regional offices and sent to schools to take care of their needs.

“Contributions must be done with caution, because as per the Education Act, it says voluntary contribution,” she said.

The minister said she has informed education directors countrywide that schools should purchase everything they need.

“Do not save this money. It is not for investment . . . Buy the materials, call parents and explain how much the school received, and what materials were bought,” she said.

Nghipondoka said when schools reopen next year, they should not demand stationery from parents unless there are clear explanations for this.

“For a parent to be asked to buy seven reams of paper and five exercise books, while there are 10 children at home, it can’t work.

“Maybe ask parents to buy pencils, erasers, and sharpeners, and not give us two pages of stationery lists which we have already received,” the minister said.

SCHOOL GRANTS

The minister said the budget allocated for school grants amounts to N$184,9 million for 1 719 schools.

“What we have noticed is that many schools do not operate on an academic cycle when executing their budgets to have funds available at the beginning of the academic year,” she said.

Nghipondoka said many schools have challenges at the beginning of the academic year because their funds have been depleted before the end of the financial year, which usually ends at the end of March.

STATIONERY FUNDS

The ministry has budgeted about N$88,8 million for stationery.

“These funds have been transferred to regional education directorates to purchase stationery for schools or to allow schools which are able to purchase their own materials,” Nghipondoka said.

According to the minister, stationery funds should be used to purchase strictly teaching and learning materials.

Ohangwena education director Isack Hamatwi says the issue of accountability is a legal one.

He says schools are expected to provide parents with audited financial reports.

“There is a guide available which stipulates how the education grant should be used and what to prioritise first, and so on,” Hamatwi says.

The director says the region has procured enough materials for schools in October, which have been delivered.

“These materials cost us around N$2 million . . . I do not expect schools to start demanding stationery from parents this time. It is not good,” he says.