Citizen Engagement for Enhanced Accountability in

Africa Rural School Fees Expenditure in Rural School Fees Expenditure in

ZimbabweZimbabweCase Study

By Joy Chidavaenzi

• Intervention Rural School Fees Rural School Fees MonitoringMonitoring

• Intervening AgentCentre for Total Centre for Total TransformationTransformation

• Location Mazoe District, Mazoe District, ZimbabweZimbabwe

• GoalGoal Promoting quality Promoting quality education education and and general welfare of rural general welfare of rural

childrenchildren

Basic Information

• Bursar or School Accounts clerk officeBursar or School Accounts clerk office

• School Head involvementSchool Head involvement

• Education Officer involvementEducation Officer involvement

• Community apathy Community apathy

Sequence of Events

Background

• Initiative is a result of reports and complaints Initiative is a result of reports and complaints by parents, teachers, students and school by parents, teachers, students and school headsheads– Inadequate Financial Controls and auditing Inadequate Financial Controls and auditing

proceduresprocedures– Misappropriation of fundsMisappropriation of funds– Failure to pay staff salaries Failure to pay staff salaries – High staff turnoverHigh staff turnover– Inadequate educational facilities and resources Inadequate educational facilities and resources – Poor record keeping Poor record keeping – Parents being taken advantage of by school Parents being taken advantage of by school

authoritiesauthorities

Objectives of the Initiative

To educate and empower communities on To educate and empower communities on their rights to:their rights to:

– information and participation in schools information and participation in schools administrationadministration

– demand accountability and transparency from demand accountability and transparency from school authorities and local councilsschool authorities and local councils

– be part of decision making process.be part of decision making process.

– Dismiss undesirable school staffDismiss undesirable school staff

Tools and Methodologies

• Baseline surveysBaseline surveys

• Focused target group discussionsFocused target group discussions

• Workshops on school budgeting and expendituresWorkshops on school budgeting and expenditures

• Community score cards and report cardsCommunity score cards and report cards

• Structured interviews with the school headsStructured interviews with the school heads

• Community based Participatory Performance Community based Participatory Performance Monitoring Monitoring

Training

Training of Community members

1.1.TransparencyTransparency

2.2.AccountabilityAccountability

3.3.Budgeting and public expenditureBudgeting and public expenditure

4.4.Roles, responsibilities and rights of school Roles, responsibilities and rights of school committeescommittees

5.5.Terms of reference Terms of reference

6.6.Monitoring and evaluation team with written Monitoring and evaluation team with written reports going to District Councils, Local reports going to District Councils, Local Leaders and Ministry of EducationLeaders and Ministry of Education

Advocacy Activities

• Regular SA awareness meetings and workshops Regular SA awareness meetings and workshops with stakeholderswith stakeholders

• Community theatres against corruption.Community theatres against corruption.

• Local media.Local media.

• Open community forum with the Member of Open community forum with the Member of Parliament and Provincial Governor Parliament and Provincial Governor

Possible Obstacles

• Perpetrators usually related to some community Perpetrators usually related to some community membersmembers

• People may think that whistle blowing is not morally People may think that whistle blowing is not morally rightright

• Lack of jointly developed Code of Conduct for school Lack of jointly developed Code of Conduct for school authorities authorities

• Bureaucratic dismissal processBureaucratic dismissal process

• School head rejected at one school relocated to anotherSchool head rejected at one school relocated to another

• fear of witchcraftfear of witchcraft

Results and Impact

• Reduction in corruption cases.Reduction in corruption cases.

• Sense of ownership of the local schools and Sense of ownership of the local schools and education in general by community memberseducation in general by community members

• Development and strengthening of school Development and strengthening of school development committees (SDCs) or parent/teacher development committees (SDCs) or parent/teacher associations (PTAs) with proper Terms of Reference.associations (PTAs) with proper Terms of Reference.

• Improved quality of education.Improved quality of education.

• Improved educational infrastructureImproved educational infrastructure

• Establishment of Child Protection Working GroupEstablishment of Child Protection Working Group

Child Protection Working Group (CPWG)

• StakeholdersStakeholders– Parents/guardiansParents/guardians– Local rural councilsLocal rural councils– Church leadersChurch leaders– Traditional leaders (chiefs and headmen)Traditional leaders (chiefs and headmen)– Students / Youth Students / Youth – Local Member of ParliamentLocal Member of Parliament– Provincial Governor Provincial Governor – Parents Teacher Associations (PTA)Parents Teacher Associations (PTA)– Other partners with interest in education.Other partners with interest in education.

Terms of Reference for the CPWG

•Budget and expenditure monitoringBudget and expenditure monitoring

•Recommend dismissal of undesired staffRecommend dismissal of undesired staff

•FundraisingFundraising

•School development monitoringSchool development monitoring

•Child abuse awareness campaignsChild abuse awareness campaigns

•Setting up of reporting systemsSetting up of reporting systems

•Promoting children’s rightsPromoting children’s rights

Joy Chidavaenzi23 Kew Drive, Highlands, Harare, Zimbabwe

Telephone: 263 4 496709 263 4 442544Mobile: 263 91 247 929

E-mail: joy@africaonline.co.zw