What about schools’ infrastructure?

EVERYONE welcomes the government’s tuition fee subsidy policy, however, the obvious drawbacks of this policy are the limited number of school infrastructure and rundown facilities.
Last week, the Education Minister announced that schools were allowed to collect project fees but should follow stringent approval guidelines.
The provincial education boards will set and approve the fees, but not be above the maximum limit of K5 for elementary; K7 primary and K10 for high/secondary and vocational schools.
We witnessed and reported over the years about schools encountering difficulties in terms of infrastructure maintenance, lack of learning materials and equipment, and rundown amenities at the beginning of school year.
So whose responsibility is it to maintain school buildings or build new ones?
This is a matter of grave concern because school buildings are crumbling all around the country while parents, teachers and school boards stand by helplessly expecting help from somewhere.
Ironically, the same decades-old buildings are being filled up with an increased number of children.
Go no further than the capital city to realise the extent of the neglect and inability by schools to maintain a decent standard of school infrastructure all year round.
The problem of deteriorating school buildings and the very grave health and safety issues facing students and staff in the schools is common and those in the National Capital District are no better than the rest.
Infrastructure involves a lot of investment by school boards which cannot rely on the Government or some chance benefactor.
The minister said Treasury has paid out a total of K122 milion and by today, schools should receive the Government’s component of schools fees for the first quarter.
Total budgeted cost for this year stands at K486 million.
There are two components – a school operations and functional grant component of K389 million (80 per cent) and a commodity component of K97 million (20 per cent).
The Government’s contribution makes up 62 per cent of the total national education board maximum school fees cost while parents will pay 37 per cent.
The Government should know that funds from this policy are not sufficient and even if the money is faithfully remitted to school accounts, they are mainly for the purchase of school materials.
What happens to the much-needed infrastructure development such as maintaining dilapidated classrooms or replacing over-used toilet bowls?
The tuition fee free (TFF) policy by the previous government had placed a burden on school administrations, which are now struggling to maintain an increased number of students in rundown classrooms.
This is merely echoing what has been already expressed by a number of school headmasters and boards.
There is no point in filling up classrooms and not achieving the aim of quality education.
Schools administrations should be given the leeway to raise much-needed funds for the maintenance of existing school buildings and construction of new facilities.
School boards on their part should be made more accountable in their responsibility over physical infrastructure ensuring safe and hygienic school environments.