The Ministry of Basic Education, MINEDUB, will in 2012 require a budget of FCFA 153.9 billion to improve the quality and efficiency of basic education in Cameroon. The draft budget sees an increase of FCFA 14 billion; up from FCFA 142 billion in 2011. However, while the recurrent budget has increased from FCFA 129 billion in 2011 to FCFA 142 billion in 2012, the investment budget has fallen from FCFA 12 billion in 2011 to FCFA 11 billion in 2012.
In line with the Growth and Employment Strategy Paper, GESP, Minister Youssouf Hadidja Alim told members of the Finance and Budget Commission on Monday November 21 that the 2012 investment budget will essentially start funding the implementation of three major programmes. The first priority will be on implementing the programme to support the development of pre-primary education. Estimated to cost FCFA 878 million, the programme will gradually facilitate access by a greater number of Cameroonian children to nursery education and thus improve its rate from the current 27 per cent to 33 percent by 2014.
The second priority is on improving universal access to primary education. It aims at increasing the primary school completion rate from 73 per cent to 78 per cent by strengthening access to primary education, ameliorating the quality of primary education and supporting the education of the girl child. A total of FCFA 7.9 billion will be needed for the purpose. Improving management and education governance at the cost of FCFA 2 billion will be the third priority for 2012. This, Minister Youssouf said, will dwell on improving the welfare of teachers, strengthening partnerships, fighting corruption and consolidating the ministry’s database management.
Meanwhile, the recurrent budget will be spent on stationery, school equipment, organisation of certificate examinations, assisting private schools, organising school activities and official ceremonies and production of certificates.
