Easing the burden on parents

For the upcoming school year, parents of vulnerable students in public primary and secondary schools will be exempt from enrollment fees.

All Malagasy children must be enrolled in school for the 2024-2025 academic year. Public schools across Madagascar have received instructions from the Minister of National Education to welcome all children excluded from the education system. In collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of National Education will identify children from the poorest families who are not yet enrolled in school.

Local leaders (chefs fokontany) will compile a list of the most vulnerable children and forward it to the nearest schools, whether they are public primary schools (EPP), general education colleges (CEG), or high schools. These children must be admitted unconditionally by the school directors. The Minister of National Education announced that these children will not have to pay enrollment fees or parental contributions.

She emphasized that education in public schools is free : « Parents do not have to pay enrollment or re-enrollment fees. The only fees allowed this school year are parental contributions for compensating the salaries of non-government-funded teachers ». She clarified that if the school does not employ non-subsidized teachers, parents should not pay anything. This is a significant opportunity because many children have stopped attending school due to their parent’s financial difficulties.

Marie Michelle Sahondrarimalala was clear in her statement: full fee exemption in schools where teachers are not subsidized is only granted to « very vulnerable » children who are not yet enrolled in school. The task of the local leaders will not be easy, as they will have to determine who is genuinely vulnerable and who is not.