Education Operators Want Prompt Payment Of Subventions

By Leocadia Bongben &*Lucy Asongwed

Private basic education operators have requested that subventions for the 2007/2008 academic year be paid promptly in order to ensure a smooth school year.

This was one of the recommendations of the 22nd National Commission of Private Basic Education that held under the theme: "Improving the conditions of teachers."
The conference was part of measures to prepare for the take-off of the new academic year.
According to statistics from the Director of Private Basic Education, the subvention, which stands at over FCFA 3 billion, representing an increment of 2.86 percent from that of last year, has to be distributed to 3,026 primary schools.   

They equally recommended that measures be put in place relating to the organisation and functioning of private basic education.In this vein, it was agreed that the required space for a nursery school is 1500 square meters and 2000 square meters for a primary school.
The number of pupils per class was put at 40 per teacher and the schools should be secured and located away from roads.

As part of procedures for the establishment of a school, the government should respect a period of 90 days. It was stated that government's delay in respecting the stipulated period accounts for the existence of clandestine schools across the country.

In order to guarantee a smooth start of the new academic year, Basic Education Minister, Haman Adama, said government would continue to set up strategies to improve the quality and effectiveness of the basic education system.

The Minister called on all stakeholders in the educational sector to take the individual responsibility of investing in education.Haman Adama also urged parents to be partners in the success of their children and warned that headmasters should desist from being categorical about undue Parent Teacher Association, PTA, levy.

She appealed that all funds designed for the functioning of schools should be outrightly given to the beneficiaries. The Minister stated that all teachers to be recruited during this new school year would be sent to rural areas where there is teacher deficiency.

Haman stressed that clandestine schools would be closed down. She said the primary school will henceforth be divided into three levels.It was resolved that secondary school teachers will no longer mark the Common Entrance and First School Leaving Certificate, FSLC, exams.

*(UB Journalism Student On Internship)