Teaching in primary schools
across Swaziland is grinding to a halt and some salaries have not been paid
because government has not released funds.
Some schools are unable to
buy food for children.
The Swazi Government is
refusing to release money because many children do not have personal identification
numbers (PINs); some parents do not have birth certificates for their children.
The problem has been going
on since the school year started in January 2018. Shiselweni, Manzini and
Lubombo are among the regions affected, according to the Sunday Observer newspaper in Swaziland (25 February 2018).
Government is refusing to
pay fees under the free primary education (FPE) scheme. Government pays E580 (US$48)
per child. The newspaper reported one headteacher saying, ‘Government returned
claim forms for Shiselweni, Manzini and Lubombo because some learners have no
Personal Identification Numbers (PIN). We have so far pushed parents to get
birth certificates for their children. Some did but not for orphaned and
vulnerable children (OVC) it is not easy since the ministry of home affairs
demands things they don’t have.’
The newspaper reported, ‘The
principals stated that they had tried their best to encourage the parents and
guardians to get the PINs for the children but they faced difficulty at the Ministry
of Home Affairs as they said the requirements needed were nearly impossible to
meet. They said what made matters worse was that though they may be few pupils
in the schools who do not have the PINs the entire school was suffered. Others
said even omitting those without the PINs would not solve the problem. This
they said will mean those pupils would have to be sent home because they would
not have stationery and books as government would only provide for those listed
in the claim forms.’
Swaziland Principals Association (SWAPA) President
Welcome Mhlanga said it was unfair on principals not to release funds to
schools as it was not their duty to register certificates for children but a
role of the parents, guardians and communities.
The Swazi
Observer newspaper reported on Friday (2 March 2018) that the need for PINs
was a new rule and school principals said they had not been consulted not given
adequate time to prepare.
The newspaper said some parents wanted the matter refereed
to King Mswati III. King Mswati is an absolute monarch and if he says children
can be admitted to school without PINs, the government which is not elected but
handpicked by him, would comply.
See also
SWAZILAND
SCHOOLS IN CHAOS
CHILDREN
TOLD ‘PREPARE FOR STARVATION’
END
OF FREE SWAZI PRIMARY SCHOOLING
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