Free Basic Education
Basic Information
Country
Geographic area
Population group
Children
Programme Details
Programme objectives
Provide free primary and junior secondary education to all schoolage children.
Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, n.d. increased Student Grants for Fee-Free Basic Education. <http://www.mehrd.gov.sb/documents?view=download&format=raw&fileId=41>
Start date
2009
Personal communication.
Targeting and eligiblity
Targeting methods
Categorical Targeting
Targeted areas
Nationwide, but grants vary according to school location (urban or rural)
Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, n.d. increased Student Grants for Fee-Free Basic Education. <http://www.mehrd.gov.sb/documents?view=download&format=raw&fileId=41>
Target groups
Children
Eligibility criteria
Children aged 6-15 (grade or year 1-9—primary and junior secondary education). Children qualify to the programme as long as they are enrolled and regularly attending school. [1] Public and private schools are eligible, as well as church authorities’ schools.
Personal communication.
Coverage and other information
Type of benefits
Educational fee waivers
Amount of benefits
Varies according to the fees and location of registered schools, as well as their educational level [1] [2]
In addition to administration grants paid to schools, the following rates per child per year applied to public and church schools (in 2010):
Early Childhood Centre—SBD60
Primary (rural school)—SBD320
Primary (school in urban area)—SBD520
Junior Secondary Day—SBD800
Junior Secondary Day (urban area)—SBD1000
Junior Secondary Boarding—SBD2140 [2]
Personal communication.
Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, n.d. increased Student Grants for Fee-Free Basic Education. <http://www.mehrd.gov.sb/documents?view=download&format=raw&fileId=41>
Payment/delivery frequency
Biannual payments made to schools
Personal communication.
Benefit delivery mechanism
Bank transfer to schools’ bank accounts
Personal communication.
Benefit recipients
Schools receive the grants on behalf of the students.
Minimum and maximum duration of benefits (if any)
Throughout students’ primary and junior secondary education. Currently, this covers grades 1 through 9. However, the Ministry of Education plans to include the pre-primary year in a future review of the programme
Personal communication.
Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms and frequency
Inspectorate division officers and education officers visit schools to conduct monitoring. The Ministry of Education’s grant officers work with Education Authority accountants to equalise school finances
Personal communication.
