PRIMARY EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT PLAN (PEDP) 1.0 Introduction Primary Education Development Plan started in July 2001 aiming at improving level of education in the following areas: „« Enrolment Expansion „« Quality Improvement „« Capacity Building „« Institutional Arrangement Enrolment Expansion Issues covered include enrolment of eligible children both boys and girls in standard one, recruitment of teachers, construction of classrooms, teachers?houses, sanitation facilities, water tanks and enrolment of out of school children and youth. Quality Improvement Issues related to human resources such as teachers?teaching competencies, styles or methods, teaching and learning resources (supply of adequate textbooks and other learning materials). Capacity Building This includes inservice and pre-service training, governance and management training at all levels. It also entails financial management at School Committee level to manage funds distributed/channelled by the Government to school bank accounts. Institutional Arrangement At each level of implementation of PEDP roles and responsibilities have been assigned from the village/school level to the centre as follows: President's Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PORALG) ?To guide and oversee the delivery of primary education by Local Government Authorities. (LGAs) ?To proved strategic leadership and technical support to council education offices ?To support and build the capacity of Regional Secretariats (RSs) and Local Government Authorities (LGAs). ?To ensure that councils prepare consolidated education development plans that conform to government development goals, education policy and assurance standards. ?To consolidate council plans and budgets into National Plans of action that will provide the basis for the approval and transfer of PEDP funds. ?To collaborate with the MOEC in order to monitor, review and evaluate PEDP outputs and outcomes. ?To communicate education information to all system levels and interested stakeholders. ?To produce regular financial and physical report to the Treasury. ?To collaborate with other agencies in education sector planning and in specifying national service delivery standards for primary education. ?To technically support Local Government Authority in planning and implementing primary education programmes in accordance with the national service delivery standards. Ministry of Education and Culture ?To set policies that ensures quality education for all. ?To monitor, review and evaluate progress, outcomes and the impact of the PEDP for quality assurance. ?To prepare, in a collaborative manner, detailed plans for PEDP implementation. ?To support and build the technical capacity of Local Government Authority education office. ?To carry out school inspection by monitoring, delivery and adherence to stipulated curriculum, ensuring that every school committee is trained on how they can govern effectively and democratically. ?Evaluating the implementation of the PEDP and providing feedback to LGAs and PORALG, other supporting education agencies, school owners at all levels. The Regional Secretariats ?To carry out periodic internal audits in the Local Government Authorities (LGAs) and schools to ensure that performance targets and financial regulations are being met. ?To guide, co-ordinate and monitor the delivery of primary education by Local authorities ?To provide technical support to council education offices. ?To effectively communicate educational information and concerns from or to council and other local stakeholders to the zonal and national level. Local Government Authorities ?Prepare in a participatory and inclusive way development plans for districts primary schools. ?Involves the meaningful participation for all community, stakeholders in planning, monitoring and implementation processes. ?Guide and enforce the proper use and accounting of PEDP funds by the school committees. ?Produce and submit regular financial reports to the PORALG and MOEC through RS. ?Provide technical support to school and village committees in the task of procurement, fund utilisation and proper and timely reporting. ?Regularly monitoring, review and evaluate the progress of PEDP activities. ?To effectively communicate educational information to village, ward and schools. Ward Level ?To share information with and facilitate the participation of all parents and the wider community in realising the PEDP objectives. ?To help identify priorities for school development plans and to assist in the planning process. ?To ensure that the implementation of PEDP funded activities operates in a transparent and accountable manner, by guiding and enforcing the proper use and accounting of funds by school committees. ?To co-ordinate the formulation of Whole School Development Plans. ?Communicate education information to school and other local stakeholders. School Committees ?Mobilize voluntary community contributions to projects, in form of labour, money or another acceptable to the community. ?Facilitate planning, budgeting and implementation of PDP projects. ?Provide accessible information to the community on implementation process, indicating progress achieved, problems encountered and funds used. ?Manage funds received for the project implementation while ensuring maximum transparency and accountability. ?Prepare and submit regular project progress report to the LGAs through Council Education Officer. 2.0 Funding The Government, Development Partners in Education and loan from the World Bank, funds Primary Education Development Plan. Funds disbursed to Local Government Authorities are for construction (classrooms, teachers' houses, pit-latrines, and offices), capitation grant (procurement of textbooks, school materials, rehabilitation of buildings, internal examinations and administration at school level) fabrication of desks, science kits, and capacity building of School Committees. Summary of funds disbursed to Local Authorities ITEM 2001/2002 2002/2003 2003/2004 2004/2005 DEVELOPMENT GRANT 44,350,580,000 13,620,929,367 35,683,803,176 54,112,721,750 CAPITATION GRANT/TEXTBOOKS 3,426,400,560 4,500,000,000 72,711,775,335 29,861,476,000 CAPITATION GRANT-TREASURY 11,000,000,000 19,936,464,800 17,378,015,800 19,035,468,000 SCIENCE KITS 0 2,076,224,996 0 2,100,000,000 FOLLOW UP 0 0 4,809,114,624 1,763,423,950 CAPACITY BUILDING SCHOOL COMMITTEES 1,287,831,713 1,094,798,458 4,791,961,166 3,734,928,000 PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS 0 2,771,106,208 2,889,377,201 5,260,312,000 ALLOWANCE FOR FIRST EMPLOYMENT 0 0 325,710,000 2,158,660,000 STUDENT TEACHERS?SALARIES 0 0 391,575,694 COBET 931,040,000 GRAND TOTAL 60,064,812,273 43,999,523,829 138,981,332,996 118,958,029,700 These funds do not take into consideration funds disbursed by the Government as Other Charges (OC) and Salaries for Teachers to finance Education as a whole. 3.0 Modalities in Transferring Funds: The Government and Development Partners together signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) after preparation of the Financial Management and Accounting Manual for the management of funds to be disbursed to Local Authorities and Schools. Each school opened two bank accounts with the Microfinance Bank (Capitation Grant Account and Development Grant Account). Funds after being approved by relevant organs flow from the Treasury to Local Authorities Education Bank Accounts. Then, Local Authorities transfer the funds to Schools?Bank Accounts depending on type of funds received. Funds for procurement of textbooks are not transferred to school bank accounts until when schools will have acquired capacity in the procurement process. Each school has a School Committee comprising of members from the Village/Mtaa Government, teachers, pupils and the public. The Chairman of the Village/Mtaa Government and the Village Executive Officer are not members of the School Committee. This set up was done deliberately for the purpose of accountability at the Village/Mtaa level. The Head Teacher is the adviser of the School Committee, keeps records and minutes of the School Committee deliberations. The school only withdraws funds from the school bank accounts upon submission of minutes of the School Committee meeting signed by the Chairman/Vice-Chairman, Secretary and endorsed. The Council then endorses the cheque before presentation to the bank. School Committees were trained in financial management, procedures for procurement of textbooks planning and school management. Circular letters are sent to Local Authorities whenever funds are distributed to provide them with explanations. 4.0 Key Achievements: During implementation some achievements were realised as follows:- „« Enrolment in Standard I has increased tremendously „« The ratio of boys to girls enrolled for Standard I is 1.06:0.94 as opposed to previous years where boys featured most „« Number of classrooms constructed has improved the learning and teaching environment „« Community participation was beyond expectations especially in rural areas unlike in urban areas where it is a problem. „« In some areas, the community through their contributions (labor) managed to save some funds, which were used to build more classrooms, pit-latrines, teachers?houses, offices and procurement of desks. „« The average ratio of book: pupil has improved from 1:8 to 1:5 especially for Standard I-IV. „« Infrastructure in some schools has improved tremendously due to provision of capitation grant. By the use of the component of rehabilitation for minor repairs some buildings have shown shape and new furniture have been acquired. 5.0 Key Lessons Learned ?People when mobilized, sensitized and assisted by the Government can perform successfully and attain targets; ?School Committees in collaboration with Village Governments managed and controlled funds disbursed to schools for the purposes intended; ?The abolition of school fees enabled many pupils to be enrolled to standard one; ?Where people worked as a group to accomplish their tasks some achievements were realized. 6.0 Challenges: A number of obstacles were encountered during implementation, which needs to be addressed for smooth implementation in order to realise the targeted objectives. Some of those obstacles which pose to be challenges, include:- „« Due to expansion on enrolment the problem of overcrowding of pupils in one classroom especially in urban areas still persist. „« Ability to absorb all school going age pupils in Standard I. „« Funds secured for implementation of the plan were not adequate. „« In some localities the community were reluctant to contribute through physical participation on the basis that funds disbursed by the Government were enough. „« Some teachers are reluctant to work in specific regions. „« Many schools do not have teacher houses, which could be an incentive for teachers to go and teach in remote areas. „« Ability of LGAs to inspect all schools to ensure funds are utilised properly and for the purposes intended. „« Availability of building materials especially during the rain season in some regions is a problem. Road infrastructure during rain season is not easily passable and this has an effect in the implementation. 7.0 Strategies: To overcome some of the challenges posed there is a need for: „« Every level of implementation to participate fully and fulfil its commitments and obligations; „« Provide Regions and Local Authorities with some funds for monitoring implementation; „« Continue with the IEC campaign to create awareness among the public on their roles and responsibilities in this program so as to create spirit of working together to address a common problem; „« Build more teacher houses in remote areas as an incentive to teachers who will be allocated in those areas to teach; „« Frequent follow ?ups by Local Authorities, Regions and the centre to ensure compliance; „« Quarterly reporting on physical and financial to compare progress against target; „« To emphasise transparency and accountability among implementers especially at school level by providing right, timely and accurate reports and information. Coordination