Peru: Reforming financial policy in the education sector

This article's heading, posted by the GTZ on 10 March 2008, caught my eye in all conscience. Nowadays, Peruvian state school teachers enhance their cognitive, linguistic, communicative, and pedagogical competencies by attending in-service teacher training courses offered by Peruvian universities. The PRONAFCAP is being developed with funds allocated by the Peruvian Ministry of Education through supplementary budgets over the last three years. However, we must be aware that many teachers are inadequately trained because of a shortage of well-prepared trainers. Despite the cruel reality, the Peruvian Government continues to invest vast sums of money in the "new" education reform. Reform should start with the authorities of the Ministry of Education and extend to every member of the schools. What do you think? Here you are: the article, "Achieving equal opportunity while reducing poverty." Money alone is not enough to improve a country's education system. Nevertheless, without adequate funding for school buildings, technical equipment, teaching materials, and teacher training, education reform is doomed to failure from the very outset. The Peruvian Government is well aware of this. As part of its planned education system reform, it has put a new distribution key for budgetary funds at the top of the agenda. Last year, on behalf of BMZ, GTZ advised the Ministries of Economy and Finance and of Education on budget planning and implementation. "So far, allocation of funds to Peruvian schools has been based on teacher numbers alone," reports Janos Zimmermann, head of the advisory program "Good governance and inclusion." "This meant that schools in rich areas always received more money, which just exacerbated the country's education gap." Schools in poor, rural areas have classes full to bursting and employ inadequate teachers, most of whom are poorly trained. Now, for the approximately 7 million schoolchildren, there is hope. Following Ecuador's example, the Peruvian Government has boosted funding for the primary school sector to USD 90 million in a supplementary budget for 2008. "What is even more significant, however, is that criteria such as population figures, the region's poverty rate, the condition of school facilities, and the number of classes and pupils are now the key factors in allocating funds," Mr Zimmermann reports. This will ensure that, in the future, funding will get to where it is urgently needed. By the end of June 2008, over 40,000 schools are to benefit from this year. The funds are transferred directly to school headteachers, who are responsible for their use. Two newly established committees, comprising representatives from parents' associations and the mayor, will ensure that funds are allocated appropriately. "With this innovative distribution and monitoring system," says Mr Zimmermann, "the Government is showing its commitment to finding grass-roots solutions. And with a better school system that benefits children from poorer backgrounds, in particular, we will be able to improve their chances of escaping the vicious circle of poverty and inadequate education".