School Funding in ZA

Last Thursday I had a conversation with a teacher at the school about several education-related issues. After briefly discussing race, a theme that must be forever in the minds of ZA citizens (more on that later), our conversation moved towards funding and resources, as it tends to do with teachers. She expressed her frustrations with the Ministry of Education (also referred to as the Dept. of Education, though I like "ministry" because it sounds so Harry Potter-isk), and I couldn't help but to compare her frustrations with my own and thousands of teachers back home. It seems that there is a pandemic of apathy towards education... so, take heart teachers of Ohio, Wisconsin, and Michigan: you are not alone!

 Does that make you feel better? Me either.

I am going to divulge what I learned in a bulleted list. This will keep me from droning on. Also, because I love bulleted lists.

There is quite a lot that is different when it comes to education in ZA, compared to the US, but the underlying problems that they have-- funding-related-- are very much the same. Education is not really valued here. It makes me sad for our kids, for our world.


Here we go! This is going to be a bit of info. You might want to attack this in waves. :)

• The Ed. Ministry only pays for half of teachers' salaries at HH. They do not pay anything for "classified" staff. There are approximately 45 teachers, three administrators, and around 15 classified staff. The money that is used to pay the other half of teachers' salaries as well as those of the classified staff (I don't know about administrators) comes from student school fees and contributions/donations to the school. So approximately 23 teachers and 15 classified staff are paid annually through those fees/contributions.
  
• Here is a run-down of the school fees, or basically, how HH is able to pay teachers and staff.
  Keep in mind that approximately R 7.5 is equal to 1 USD (the 'R' is the Rand-- ZA currency).
  
•  A non refundable deposit of R 500 ($67 USD) is required upon acceptance. Students must apply for primary school as students back home would apply for college. The headmaster told me that there were over 400 applicants for grade one for the upcoming 2013 school year. There are only 100 some-odd openings.
  
• Tuition February to November: R 865 per month ($115 USD)
  
• Stationary Fee R 250 ($33 USD) Annually, for all writing books and textbook hire
  
• Aftercare, which can be provided by the school, costs money, though I am not sure the specifics.
  
• There are fees for music students and practice sessions. If my student played the clarinet in the band at HH and practiced from 12:45- 3:30pm, it would cost me R 620/year ($90 USD).
  
• So, for one school year (with my child playing an instrument because that matters to me) it is going to cost me R 10,020 ($1336 USD)-- not including childcare as I am a working mom, and/or single parent.
• What the Ed. Ministry gives the school for funding (resources, utilities, etc.) does not even cover the cost of electricity for an entire school year (Jan-Dec). Bearing in mind that there is no heat and the only room that is air conditioned is the computer lab. EVERYTHING else comes from student school fees and contributions/donations.
  
• There are some schools where students do not have to pay school fees. The teacher that I spoke with said, "you get what you pay for." Taking into account the sum of money that the schools get from the Ed. Ministry (very little) and how much of the staff salaries' the Ministry actually pays (maybe half), I can understand her perspective. My questions are: How do they pay their teachers? How do they keep excellent teachers? How do they get $$ for resources?
  
• Embezzlement is a serious problem here. According to the teacher I spoke with, there is little to no accountability for administrators, government employees, etc., and so taking the money that is set aside for schools is pretty simple and consequence-free.
  
• Township schools, those which, in my opinion, need the most funding and the best teachers, receive very little money. And according to the teacher I spoke with, the teachers don't always have the same degree but make the same salary as the other Ed. Dept. teachers. She was very frustrated with this particular issue. She regards the township teachers as "lazy."
  
  I have been to township schools and seen the classrooms, the teachers and students. I also have seen with what little those teachers have to work. I cannot imagine teaching effectively in those conditions-- degree or no degree.

I am not sure how funding goes for each and every school in ZA, though, I would speculate that things are very similar across the board; the government has no money. Being at HH and talking with the teachers and staff has given me so much insight into this country's education crisis. It is similar to that of the US. There is not enough money being pumped into the schools in either case, and it is causing problems. The difference is that the US has money (ha) to allocate while ZA does not. When a school has limited resources and has to cut good teachers and essential programs, no matter what the case, there are problems. 

I am worried for our world. What happens when the apathy we feel toward funding education becomes the apathy we feel toward education as a whole? Or do they go hand-in-hand? I am interested to know how other countries fund education. What, out there, is working? 

Sarah