The 13 percent allocated to the education sector in the 2020 National Budget is lower than recognized international standards and is grossly insufficient for the nation’s needs, said Fadzayi Mahere.
In a statement released by the MDC-A, Mahere said government should ensure that a sufficient proportion of the national budget is allocated towards the sector to implement the right to education effectively.
“The implementation of the right to education requires funding in order to build schools, pay teachers’ salaries and training and provide teaching materials.
Over 93% of the 2020 National Budget will go to salaries leaving little for teaching materials and education infrastructure,” she said.
She added that declarations, such as the 2011 Jomtien Statement, recognise that states should spend at least 20% of their national budget on education in order to achieve quality education for all.
It is against this background, the MDC urges government to reduce the budgetary allocation to defence and security and instead allocate more funds towards education, added Mahere.
