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Rationale, Issues and Conditions for Sustaining the Abolition of School Fees
Author: Birger Fredriksen
Date: 2009
Size:
43 pages
(3.39 MB)
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Summary
What is the rationale for abolishing school fees and what challenges is such an initiative likely to face? This chapter by Birger Fredriksen argues that removing school fees is necessary for sub-Saharan Africa to achieve its enrolment objectives and to stimulate further educational improvements on the continent. For the initiative to be effective, abolition of school fees must be implemented in coordination with other reforms targeting quality, access, and financial sustainability.
Studies show that a large majority of sub-Saharan African countries are unlikely to achieve universal primary school completion by 2015. After a surge during the 60’s and 70’s, enrolment rates stagnated until renewed growth appeared in the late 90’s. Donors are anxious to sustain this expansion in primary school enrolment and support sub-Saharan Africa in its push for 'Education for All'. Central to the question of enrolment rates is the debate over the abolition of school fees. Research shows that school fees are a key determinant in the growth of enrolment rates and are also important for equity and access considerations, with more vulnerable children often unable to attend or complete primary school. Moreover, it is possible that the bold initiative required to abolish school fees could provide the catalyst for further educational reforms and improvements.Indeed, school fee abolition cannot be viewed as a stand-alone policy. Rather, to be successful, it must be implemented in conjunction with a number of other reforms. Three reforms in particular are critical for fee abolition to generate positive outcomes:- Financial sustainability - If countries cannot sustain free primary schooling in all economic circumstances, the initiative is likely to lose ground and, in some cases, be reversed. Careful financial planning is required to ensure sufficient educational resources are available to sustain schools, even in economic crisis.
- Need for targeted programmes - The focus must be on ensuring access for poor and disadvantaged children who may be excluded from the system. Reaching these children will incur the greatest costs for the system but will produce the greatest benefit in terms of increased enrolment and better educational outcomes.
- Need to protect quality - Loss of resources resulting from the abolition of school fees can have an adverse effect on educational quality. As such, any abolition of fees must be accompanied by initiatives that specifically target and offset these losses to ensure that quality is sustained.
- Political leadership is a prerequisite for successful implementation, particularly where the abolition of school fees is a major departure from existing policy;
- Careful planning is essential, especially in terms of assessing and offsetting the loss of resources and preparing for the expected surge in enrolment following the abolition of school fees;
- Communication and coalition building is also important to ensure that opposition both nationally and locally is mitigated;
- Phasing in the reforms has the advantage of reducing the ‘access shock’ associated with the abolition of school fees and providing more time for planning and communication; and
- Using school grants to finance the shortfall in educational resources resulting from the loss of fees has proved an effective means of sustaining access and quality.
Access full text: available online
Source:
Fredriksen, B., 2009, 'Rationale, Issues and Conditions for Sustaining the Abolition of School Fees' in Abolishing School Fees in Africa: Lessons Learned in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya and Mozambique', World Bank and UNICEF, pp 1-44
Author:
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), http://www.unicef.org
