THE Ministry of Education subsidised 104 private schools in the country to the tune of N$74,5 million in the current financial year, according to Education Minister Nangolo Mbumba.
Responding to questions from Elma Dienda (CoD) in Parliament on Thursday, Minister Mbumba said that N$26,2 million was paid to subsidise the hostels of these private schools and N$48,2 million was for operational costs like teachers’ salaries in some schools, textbooks, school maintenance and feeding schoolchildren. A new funding formula for private schools will be introduced from April 1 2010.From next month onwards, private schools requiring Government subsidies will have to have at least ten per cent of all their pupils coming from disadvantaged communities and on a full scholarship, meaning they would not have to pay any fees.’The full scholarship does however not include transport to and from school,’ the Minister said.Private schools not fulfilling the ten per cent quota will face penalties equivalent to three times the per capita subsidy from Government, meaning they will receive less.
