Govt starts disbursing universal education grants

The Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture has started transferring funds for universal primary education (UPE) grants to schools countrywide.

These funds are used for the day-to-day running of schools.

Executive director of education, arts and culture Sanet Steenkamp is urging schools which have not received this year’s UPE grants to be patient.

“There is a constant balancing act, and of course we are talking about millions of dollars that must be paid,” she says.

Steenkamp says the ministry is only in its second month of the new financial year, and the process to release the grants is ongoing.
She urges those who have not received their grants not to panic.

These assertions come amid some schools saying they have not received their grant yet, and are struggling to sustain operations.

In in earlier interview published by The Namibian, Steenkamp said the government normally makes N$200 available per primary school pupil and N$300 per secondary school pupil.

She says the ministry also has to disburse funds for hostels, ensuring that school feeding programmes are delivered, electricity and water bills are paid and that catering, the biggest cost driver, is covered.

“We have also decided we will pay directly from the head office to avoid late payments,” she says.

“Last year, we made the decision to get what we call suppliers’ codes from the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises to ensure that every school submits all the required documents so that they are registered with the finance ministry.

“You had the new financial year starting on 1 April. I think the schools must remember you get your UPE and that you need an approved budget with your parents and your school boards, and that the money needs to last for one year, and it needs to be complemented with fundraising and other activities by the communities.

“So the money is not distributed late, considering we are in the second month of the contingency budget. I think we are doing excellent in ensuring that the funds are distributed to the regions,” she says.

“The ministry receives a monthly envelope of resources from the treasury authorisation warrant.

“So every ministry only receives a certain amount per month, with a ceiling based on your allocated budget.

“And on that basis we can distribute funds, so keep in mind that the UPE or universal secondary education (USE) are not the only funds we have to transfer.

“There are other competing priorities, such as feeding the pupils, hostels, and ensuring that the school feeding programme is being delivered.”

Meanwhile, the education directors of the Omaheke and Oshikoto regions have confirmed that they have received the UPE grants.

Omaheke education director Constance Wantenaar says they received their late last month.