By Nokunceda Magagula
The budget allocated to the Ministry of Education has increased by an impressive E1.04 billion in the 2024 fiscal year, representing an increase from E3.94 billion to E5 billion, which represents 17 per cent of the total budget.
This announcement was made by Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg during his budget speech on Monday.
“Government is allocating E3.94 billion in the recurrent budget, E200 million in the capital budget to the Ministry of Education and Training, E194 million in the OVC fund, and E647 million for scholarships, which is the same as last year, equalling a total of E5 billion for the provision of education and training at all levels in the country,” stated Minister Rijkenberg.
The minister also mentioned that during the 2023/24 financial year, the government approved a revised Fees Schedule Structure for Free Primary Education.
Recognizing the need to address the changing economic landscape, the Ministry of Education and Training has embarked on amending the Free Primary Education Act of 2010.
“We believe that investing in education is crucial for the future of our nation. Therefore, in the 2023/2024 financial year,” he said.
He further mentioned that they have converted 794 temporary teachers into permanent and pensionable positions.
“In the 2024/2025 budget, E65 million has been allocated to continue converting temporary teaching positions into permanent roles to address teacher shortages and contribute to the overall quality of education,” emphasized Minister Rijkenberg.
Additionally, the minister said that the government has conducted a comprehensive review of Special Educational Needs (SEN) manuals designed to cater to the unique learning requirements of students with special needs.
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As part of this effort, a pilot program will be carried out in selected schools during the 2024 academic year.
Rijkenberg reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring inclusive education in schools.
To enhance the learning experience for special education needs students, he said they have uploaded soft copies of instructional materials using technologies with the assistance of local and international development partners.
He stated that this will enable special education needs students to access educational content in formats that cater to their specific needs using gadgets.
Furthermore, the minister mentioned that the government is transitioning from a traditional paper-based approach to a more advanced and efficient web-based system known as DHIS2 for Education.
The system aims to capture comprehensive data on individual learners and teachers, utilizing their Personal Identification Numbers, to ensure accurate tracking and accountability within the education system.
“The DHIS2 for Education system will play a critical role in the processing of Free Primary Education grants to schools, Human Resource Management within the Teaching Service Commission, linkage with Orphaned and Vulnerable children at the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, and other management information systems in the government,” highlighted Minister Rikenberg.
Data capturing is currently at 90 per cent completion, running concurrently with data cleaning and quality assurance. The government aims to produce the Annual Education Census Report by March 2024.
Additionally, the government is institutionalizing the AS and A Levels as qualifications beyond EGCSE to improve the quality of education and address concerns over the ending of the Matric qualifications.
“To ensure the success of this initiative, we are conducting checkpoint assessments for the first cohort, and another assessment will be conducted next year to inform implementation and possible rollout. This will enable our students to access university education anywhere in the world,” stated Minister Rikenberg.
The minister also mentioned that the government is progressing with the incremental rollout of Grade 0 by establishing an additional 80 classrooms, with 20 classrooms in each of the four regions.
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This brings the total number of public primary schools with Grade 0 to 340, accommodating approximately 8,500 learners. This accomplishment reflects significant progress since the program’s inception in 2018.
The Minister highlighted that the e-learning platform known as the “Learning Passport” has been developed and customized for the core subjects at the senior secondary level (Form 4 and 5).
He emphasized that this initiative aims to ensure that students have access to educational resources, particularly during times of disruptions.
“E-learning platforms and multi-mode teaching methods are essential in providing students with access to quality education regardless of their location or circumstances. We are continuing to develop e-content for the remaining subjects at the senior secondary level,” said Minister Rijkenberg.
…Increment of budget reflects positive way forward but…
In response to the increased funds allocated to the Education Ministry, Swaziland National Teachers Union (SNAT) president Mbongwa Dlamini praised the government.
However, Dlamini expressed the opinion that the funds allocated to hiring teachers should be directed to the Ministry of Public Service rather than the Ministry of Education.
He stated, “The E65 million allocated for hiring teachers does not belong to the Ministry of Education but belongs to the Ministry of Public Services because teachers are employees of the government, not the Ministry of Education.”
Dlamini said the extra E65 million is the government’s way of exaggerating the funds allocated to the Ministry of Education.
He highlighted that in all that they appreciate, they will be teachers who will be hired in permanent positions, which is something that they have been calling for.
