CAG smells embezzlements of funds in secondary schools projects

Through the audit report on Regional and Local Government Authorities released in March this year, the CAG notes that there is no value for money in some of already audited SEQUIP projects.

The audit on value for money in procurement procedures covered three consecutive financial years: 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 in several local government authorities (LGAs).

Paragraph 31 of the Force Account Guidelines released in May 2020 requires the formulation of project teams by local government authorities for inspecting the procurement procedures and project implementation for the purpose of realizing value for money.

The CAG notes that there was a delay of 26 months in procurement of the independent verifier contrary to the agreement between the government and the International Development Association (IDA) signed on May 21, 2020.

The CAG argues that the independent verifier was supposed to be employed within three months after the signing of the project, due to the agreement between Tanzania and the World Bank.

The independent verifiers’ requirement, however, wasn’t among procurement plans of the education ministry since 2020/21.

The CAG audit report further notes in the report that during phase one, every SEQUIP project is allocated with470mn/- for construction of school buildings. He said there were district councils that received almost the whole amount but the job was not done.

For instance, Bukoba Municipal Council had as of September 2022, received 470mn/- for construction of Kashai secondary school, but the job was incomplete by 44 percent.

Another extra budget is needed to accomplish the school construction.

Lushoto District Council in Tanga region had received 394.8mn/- of the required 470mn/- an equivalent of 84 percent of the required budget but on the contrary the job was only accomplished by 47 percent.

The same district council had received 360m/- an equivalent of 77 percent of the total required budget for construction of Kwemashai secondary school but the construction was accomplished by only 41 percent.

The CAG report further notes that Korogwe District Council in Tanga region, had received 426mn/- an equivalent of 91 percent for construction of Bagamoyo secondary school but the job is done by 61percent.

Tunduma Town Council had received 470mn/- an equivalent of 100 percent of the budget for construction of Uwanjani secondary school but the job was completed by 74 percent.

The CAG report notes that in 2018, a total of 1,990,871 students were enrolled to pursue ordinary level secondary education following the introduction of the fee-free education policy in 2016. Of these students, 1,025,629 were girls and 965,242 were boys.

However, of the enrolled students, 134,000 didn’t make it to stay in school shortly after enrollment due to inadequate classrooms.

In addressing the challenge, the government in 2019 commissioned the Secondary Education Quality Improvement Project (SEQUIP) worth $500million (1.15trn/- targeting at improving teaching environment by taking into consideration construction of schools among other aspects.

The project is being implemented in all 184 district councils with the funding support from the World Bank (WB).

The project is executed under the custodian of the President’s Office Region Administration and Local Government Authorities and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

As a matter of fact, the CAG further reveals that from the audit conducted in 45 local government authorities (LGAs), he learned that there are shortcomings related to shortage of learning and teaching infrastructure and equipment.

The report states that in public secondary schools the government is required to supply 193,422 desks and chairs. As of December last year chairs and desks availability was pegged at 161,815. The deficit is 31,607 desks and chairs.

In these local government authorities a bunch of 45,190 desks and chairs are needed for teachers but the supply stands at 33,215 implying a deficit of 11,975.

The requirement of teachers’ residential houses stands at 16,722 but there are only 3,156 houses translating to a deficit of 13,566 houses.

A total of 19,236 toilets are needed for students in secondary schools but there are 10,876 toilets implying a deficit of 8,360 toilets.

The requirement for teachers’ toilets is slated 2,276 but the availability is 1,384 implying a deficit of 892 toilets.

The requirement of scientific laboratories stands 4,322 but the availability is 1,862. The deficit is 2,460 laboratories.

A total of 1,545 administration blocks are needed for secondary schools in these LGAs but the availability is 579 blocks and the deficit is 966 blocks.

The requirement for classrooms is pegged at 7,132 but so far there are 6,349 classrooms and the deficit is 783. The LGAs need 464 libraries in secondary schools but there are only 74 and the deficit is 390 libraries.

A sum of 292 dining halls is needed in the 45 LGAs but there are only 48 and the deficit is 244 halls. Almost 163 computer rooms are needed but there are only 32 rooms translating to a deficit of 131 rooms.

On a wider picture, the CAG reveals that in his audit he had learnt that 632m/- went missing in 2021/22 in the Education Programme for Results (EP4R) and another 3bn/- went missing in the construction of a new Teachers Training College in Sumbawanga, Rukwa region.

The CAG further warns on the growing trend of secondary school student dropouts in another 19 audited local government authorities (LGAs).

Kichere states that 23,009 students, an equivalent of 28 percent of the 82,236 students who joined Form One in 2018 didn’t complete Form Four.

For instance, he said, in Kinondoni Municipal Council 10,005 students were enrolled in 2018 of which 5,353 students completed Form Four while 4,652 students dropped out.

In Newala Town Council 6,950 students were enrolled the same year but only 3,167 students completed Form Four in 2021 while dropouts were 3,783 students.

In Misungwi District Council 5,690 students were enrolled whereby 3,120 students graduated while 2,570 students dropped out.

In Morogoro District Council 4,171 students were enrolled whereby 2,223 students graduated while the rest 1,948 dropped out.

All these are happening when the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology is finalizing the education policy 2014 review and the development of the new curriculum that is expected to bridge the gaps in vocational training and set long term strategies of addressing shortage of classrooms, teachers and learning equipment.

The government has already signed global agreements that obligate it into serious commitment of guaranteeing provision of quality education to its people.

For instance, Tanzania is part of the Incheon Declaration which requires signatory countries to commit four to six percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) or 15 to 20 percent of public expenditures to the education sector.