Why thousands of children are missing school according to survey

Why thousands of children are missing school according to survey

Why thousands of children are missing school according to survey

A recent report claims that thousands of kids are being shut out of school as a result of the government’s inability to provide funding for their education.

Additionally, it was discovered that the government currently disburses a low amount of funding per student, which adversely affects poor households, particularly those in rural areas.

A study named “Transforming Education Financing in Africa, A Strategic Agenda for the African Union Year of Education 2024” contains the findings.

Numerous organizations, including the Global Alliance for Tax Justice, OXFAM, ISER, Global Alliance for Economic and Social Rights, Tax and ED Alliance, Global Justice Network, Global Initiative for Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, Grade, Action Aid, Tax Justice Network Africa, and Global Campaign for Education, provided support for the study.

According to the report, the exorbitant cost of education has led 38,904,483 primary school students in the region—of whom 727,200 are in Kenya—to drop out of school.

On capitation requirements, the report says each primary school pupil in Kenya requires at least Sh62,577 to cover the cost of their education every year.The report says if the government can provide Sh173.5 billion, as per the IMF estimates (20 per cent) of GDP, some 2,772,616 primary school children in Kenya will return to school.

The report released this month further indicates that the acute budget cuts freezes, or squeezes in government funding have compounded the challenges.

The document indicates that the region is behind in spending on education with only seven out of 35 countries able to allocate 20 per cent of their GDP to education. Kenya is among 10 countries in the region spending less than 15 per cent share of their budget on the sector.

“If African countries are to achieve the continental education strategy and SDG 4, a significant increase in education investment is necessary. CESA 16 – 25 acknowledges that education systems that ‘nurture African core values and promote sustainable development’, are only achievable with sustainable financing and mobilization of resources, especially national resource mobilization,” the report reads.

It also became clear that, despite admirable advancements in enrolling students in schools and tackling educational inequality, sizable gaps still exist. Gender, parental education, ethnicity, disability, and status as a migrant or refugee are among of the factors that continue to impact completion and progression rates, particularly for girls.

According to the research, “women lose access to some of the best opportunities for decent work as teachers and other education personnel; girls are more likely to be excluded from basic education when budgets are cut.”

This shows that many may be facing unique challenges that require additional interventions, protection and support.

“Girls experience multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination because of their class, social origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or migrant status, amongst other dimensions,” reads the report, raising concerns about the quality of education learners receive.

For the last 50 years, the report says, schools have continued to experience acute teacher shortages with the 44 million primary and secondary teachers needed to meet Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, globally. In Africa alone, in the next six years, some 17 million teachers need to be recruited in both primary and secondary schools.

But with the intention of the majority of African Union countries planning to decrease total government spending in the next two years, there is worry that teachers will also be affected.

Budgets for education will undoubtedly be impacted when public spending is generally constrained. The most recent research, which advocates for further investment in the industry, states that this will necessitate either a reduction in the number of teachers or in teacher pay.

The paper also accuses hash conditions placed on funding to African regions and debt repayment as contributing contributors to the persistence of educational inequality.