Nghipondoka urges schools to be accountable
4 000 classrooms needed
The minister said some schools fail to provide financial reports to parents while still demanding contributions.
During regional consultations in Keetmanshoop on Tuesday, education minister Anna Nghipondoka urged schools to prioritise the interests of learners when executing annual budgets.
She highlighted this during an annual consultation to discuss funds allocated to schools per region. According to Nghipondoka, N$5.5 million of the ministry's total school grants budget of N$184.9 million has been set aside for the ||Karas Region.
This money has been divided among 45 schools, of which three have yet to receive funding.
"The budget allocated for school grants is N$184.9 million, and the process of transferring funds to schools has commenced and is still ongoing," the minister said.
She added: "I hereby would like to humbly request schools to exercise patience while head office is finalising the transfer process."
The largest portion of this budget, N$26.3 million, has been allocated to the Ohangwena Region and has been distributed among 256 schools. Only one school has received the allocated funds to date.
Cry Foul
"What we have noticed is that many schools are not cognisant of the academic cycle versus the financial cycle when executing their budgets in order to have funds available at the beginning of the academic year. That is why many schools cry foul 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 each year," the minister said.
"Principals, budget execution should encompass internal efficiency and get more done with the available resources. Emphasis should be on prioritisation and should also be in the best interest of the learners so that learning can be meaningful and rewarding," she stressed.
Talk to parents
The minister said schools don't provide financial reports to parents and some continue to demand contributions from parents "uncontrollably".
"We should all be accountable in our work and solicit for parental intervention after we have made parents understand how we have spent the funds allocated to our schools by the government."
The ministry has set aside another N$88.8 million for the procurement of stationery and N$40 million for textbooks and said these funds were transferred to the regions early last month.
"As of the end of 2022, the total number of classrooms needed across the country stood at over 4 000. Nonetheless, the ministry has secured N$255 million to construct 510 classrooms and 70 ablution blocks through August 26 Construction, within a period of three months," Nghipondoka said.
Furthermore, for the construction of 13 classrooms and two ablution facilities in the ||Karas Region, the ministry has allocated a further N$7 million, Nghipondoka announced.
She highlighted this during an annual consultation to discuss funds allocated to schools per region. According to Nghipondoka, N$5.5 million of the ministry's total school grants budget of N$184.9 million has been set aside for the ||Karas Region.
This money has been divided among 45 schools, of which three have yet to receive funding.
"The budget allocated for school grants is N$184.9 million, and the process of transferring funds to schools has commenced and is still ongoing," the minister said.
She added: "I hereby would like to humbly request schools to exercise patience while head office is finalising the transfer process."
The largest portion of this budget, N$26.3 million, has been allocated to the Ohangwena Region and has been distributed among 256 schools. Only one school has received the allocated funds to date.
Cry Foul
"What we have noticed is that many schools are not cognisant of the academic cycle versus the financial cycle when executing their budgets in order to have funds available at the beginning of the academic year. That is why many schools cry foul 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 each year," the minister said.
"Principals, budget execution should encompass internal efficiency and get more done with the available resources. Emphasis should be on prioritisation and should also be in the best interest of the learners so that learning can be meaningful and rewarding," she stressed.
Talk to parents
The minister said schools don't provide financial reports to parents and some continue to demand contributions from parents "uncontrollably".
"We should all be accountable in our work and solicit for parental intervention after we have made parents understand how we have spent the funds allocated to our schools by the government."
The ministry has set aside another N$88.8 million for the procurement of stationery and N$40 million for textbooks and said these funds were transferred to the regions early last month.
"As of the end of 2022, the total number of classrooms needed across the country stood at over 4 000. Nonetheless, the ministry has secured N$255 million to construct 510 classrooms and 70 ablution blocks through August 26 Construction, within a period of three months," Nghipondoka said.
Furthermore, for the construction of 13 classrooms and two ablution facilities in the ||Karas Region, the ministry has allocated a further N$7 million, Nghipondoka announced.
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