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Moshi Town, Kilimanjaro Region
Owners
of private schools in Kilimanjaro region are asking the government for
capitation grants that will help them reduce operation costs allowing
them to lower fees and other expenses in turn permitting many students
from poor families to access quality education.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Guardian over the weekend Faustine Furaha, the Executive Director of Catholic Church Moshi Diocese owned St. Amedeus Boys Secondary School said school fees in private schools are higher than those of government schools in part due to the lack of capitation grants.
“As you know, government schools get capitation funds while most private schools depend on charges to the students,” he said explaining that “…this situation makes their running costs higher than those of government schools,”
Data for the average annual increase in school fees for private schools in Tanzania was not readily available. However, most people interviewed share the claim that ‘school fees have been increasing faster than the overall inflation in Tanzania.’
In fact the President, Minister of Education and parents alike have on separate occasions raised concerns over the rapid increase in school fees charged by private schools, so much that, it has even been suggested government establish a board to regulate fees charged by private schools.
However, setting a ceiling on school fees charged by private schools is not suggested. Simple supply and demand theory has it that, unless the government is willing and able to subsidize private education, such a ceiling would cause a decrease in the number of private schools and water down the quality of education provided by the remaining schools.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Guardian over the weekend Faustine Furaha, the Executive Director of Catholic Church Moshi Diocese owned St. Amedeus Boys Secondary School said school fees in private schools are higher than those of government schools in part due to the lack of capitation grants.
“As you know, government schools get capitation funds while most private schools depend on charges to the students,” he said explaining that “…this situation makes their running costs higher than those of government schools,”
Data for the average annual increase in school fees for private schools in Tanzania was not readily available. However, most people interviewed share the claim that ‘school fees have been increasing faster than the overall inflation in Tanzania.’
In fact the President, Minister of Education and parents alike have on separate occasions raised concerns over the rapid increase in school fees charged by private schools, so much that, it has even been suggested government establish a board to regulate fees charged by private schools.
However, setting a ceiling on school fees charged by private schools is not suggested. Simple supply and demand theory has it that, unless the government is willing and able to subsidize private education, such a ceiling would cause a decrease in the number of private schools and water down the quality of education provided by the remaining schools.
SOURCE:
THE GUARDIAN
