Headmasters threaten school closure

Government's unmet commitment to finance the education of AIDS orphans and children from indigent families could lead to the imminent closure of all primary schools in the country, headmasters have warned. "If government fails to pay by 10 November, we would be compelled to close down all schools," said Themba Shabangu, chairman of the Swaziland Head Teachers' Association, in a statement. School head teachers are hard pressed to keep their institutions open because of financial shortfalls stemming from the admission of orphans and poor children. A Swazi child's education often depends on his or her parents' ability to pay school fees and ancillary expenses like school uniforms and stationery. Last January Minister of Education Constance Simelane ordered that all orphans and poor children should be admitted to schools at the start of the current school year, and promised school principals that government would cover the costs. Monies earmarked for this would come from a special King's Fund, announced by King Mswati III when he opened parliament in 2003. The head teachers association noted that only a portion of the promised money was distributed last year, with debts carried over to 2004, and that additional monies were not fully disbursed this year. "Our hearts bleed for the plight of the orphans. Their numbers grow each term because AIDS is claiming their parents. But is it right for all children to be denied education because of this tragedy?" asked the headmaster of a school in the central Manzini region, referring to the possible closure of schools. The headmaster, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said parents were hard pressed to provide for their children's education in Swaziland's declining economy. The local media has reported that some schools are faced with bankruptcy because the burden of providing free education to a burgeoning population of orphans and indigent children has surpassed the income generated by parents who can afford to pay fees. Last week school headmasters marched on the ministry of education and the prime minister's office, brandishing placards and shouting slogans urging the release of promised monies for orphans' education. Security forces barred their way, but a petition listing the schools' concerns was delivered to the education ministry's principal secretary, Goodman Kunene. The United States Ambassador to Swaziland, John Lucke, called on the government to provide free education to all Swazi children, and The Times of Swaziland reported that Lucke had promised US financial support for 15 to 20 Swazi schools to accommodate their poor and orphaned pupils. The UN Children's Fund has estimated that Swaziland currently has 60,000 children orphaned by AIDS. At the head teacher's general meeting this week, school heads resolved that if government did not meet its commitment to provide financial assistance to orphans and poor students, such children would be refused admission when the new school year commenced in January 2005.