External debt reduces educational budgets in Southern Africa.
In several Southern African countries, the burden of external debt limits the maneuverability of governments and weakens education funding. Budgets for schools and teachers are declining even as needs grow, particularly due to population growth and economic difficulties.
SUMMARY
Trade unions in the sector are calling for increased public investment to improve learning and working conditions. They denounce a situation where repayments to international creditors absorb an ever-increasing share of available resources for social services.
At a sub-regional meeting held at the end of July in Johannesburg, Education International brought together 33 delegates. Representatives from Botswana, Eswatini, and Lesotho participated in discussions focused on the role of debt in public education policies.
The participants emphasized the need to protect education spending in budgetary decisions. For unions, reductions in funding jeopardize teacher recruitment, the quality of school infrastructure, and students’ access to regular education.
Growing pressure on public budgets
External debt is not just a financial constraint for states. Debt servicing, which includes capital repayment and interest payments, can reduce the funds available for salaries, school construction, and the purchase of educational materials.
In several countries in the region, governments must deal with limited public revenues and high financial burdens. This situation leads them to prioritize their expenditures, often at the expense of social sectors, even though education is one of the main levers for development.
International creditors thus indirectly influence national priorities. Conditions attached to loans, requirements for budgetary stability, and the need to reassure markets can push governments to curb their public spending, including in education.
Teachers’ unions are demanding that budgetary choices take social consequences of indebtedness more into account. They advocate for a reassessment of funding policies and enhanced cooperation between Southern African countries to defend investments in schools.
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