DUSHANBE, February 20, Asia-Plus — Two Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) committees — for science, education, culture and youth policy as well as economy, budget, finance and taxes — have held a joint meeting to discuss scaling up per capital financing in the education sector to the national level.
The joint meeting, presided over by deputy speaker, Shujoat Hasanova, was held on February 20.
Speaking at the meeting, Education Minister Abdujabbor Rahmonov noted that the project for introduction of the per capita financing in the education sector, which is one of components of a new education policy, has worked in the country since 2005. According to him, they have studied experience of Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Lithuania and Russia and invited foreign consultants to support the Ministry of Education (MoE) in designing the per capita financing model.
Commenting on the new system of financing schools, Ms. Sanovbar Khojayeva, the chairperson of the unit for management of education programs, noted that the main objective of the new system is to improve efficiency and equity of education expenditures, and thereby improving quality of education.
According to her, some 92 percent of budgetary funds earmarked for general schools goes to paying wages of teachers. “Besides, each school now receives only funds determined by education departments or jamoats (village council), while the new system provides for actual expenditures of school,” Ms. Khojayeva said.
“Under the per capita financing model a draft school budget is worked out by school heads with participation of parents and interested non-government organizations,” said Khojayeva, “Each school should have its settlement sub-account in the city or district branches of the country’s central bank, and each school should have its accountant.” Unused funds will not be removed but will be spent for development of training-resource base of the school, she said.
According to her, the per capital financing model has to date been introduced in 1,090 schools in 19 cities and districts across the country, and by the end of 2010, it will have been introduced in all schools of the country.
