Financing for equity in primary and secondary education
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to schools
3. Education resources to students and families
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Introduction
Education financing in Togo is primarily centralised under the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MEPS), which oversees pre-primary, primary, and general secondary education nationwide. Since 1997, MEPS has introduced a deconcentrated structure to improve local oversight and service delivery, establishing six regional directorates (DRE) and multiple inspectorates: 61 for preschool and primary education (IEPP) and 18 for general secondary education (IESG). While decentralisation reforms began in 2017 and the Local Authority Support Fund (FACT) was launched in 2020 to promote greater local involvement, most education funding remains centrally managed.
The General Inspectorate of Education (Inspection Générale de l’Education, IGE), created in 2005 and directly attached to the Minister, provides evaluation, supervision, and expertise across the sector. In addition, the Constitution makes schooling compulsory for children aged 6 to 15. To reduce household costs, the government abolished primary school tuition fees in 2008 and removed registration fees for national examinations in 2020, easing a long-standing financial burden on families.
According to Article 83 of the 2019 Decentralisation Act (Law No. 2019-006), communes share responsibility with the state for tasks like school construction and maintenance, transportation, security, literacy promotion, and vocational training support. However, core expenses, including teacher salaries and school grants, are still funded and distributed directly by MEPS, maintaining strong central control over education financing.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
As of 2025, there is no publicly available formula to allocate education resources across regions. However, according to the Plan sectoriel de l’éducation du Togo 2020–2030, the state plans to reduce disparities and improve equity through a more coherent and equitable allocation of public education resources across regions and schools. The strategy explicitly includes the use of positive discrimination to ensure that schools in disadvantaged areas receive greater financial support from the government. However, it does not specify the exact criteria or mechanisms (such as formulas, weighting factors, or allocation procedures) that would operationalize this approach.
2. Education resources to schools
State Operational Grant System
The State Operational Grant system was introduced after the abolition of school fees in public primary schools in 2008 to support multiple goals: expanding access to education, increasing classroom numbers, improving teaching quality, strengthening resources, and upgrading school infrastructure. Funding for each school is based on the number of classes it operates and is meant to cover routine operational expenses such as teaching materials, documents, geometric tools, maps, and minor maintenance like repairing desks and doors. Since 2021, this scheme has been extended [CA1] to public secondary education. However, there is no clear evidence that the allocation formula includes an equity dimension.
Teacher Incentive and Deployment Measures
According to the Education Sector Plan (ESP) 2020–2030, the government aims to improve equitable teacher distribution by providing targeted incentives for those assigned to remote areas, such as limits on service length, development of teacher housing, and easier access to salary payments. Teacher accommodation is integrated into the national school construction strategy, while recruitment processes are adapted to meet regional and municipal needs. This approach reflects a strong commitment to reducing geographic disparities and enhancing education delivery in underserved communities.
The itinerant teacher programme was formally integrated into Togo’s 2020–2030 Education Sector Plan, approved in June 2020, as part of the national strategy for primary and secondary education. It offers tailored pedagogical support to children with disabilities in mainstream schools, helping them access and succeed alongside their peers. Implemented through a partnership between Humanity & Inclusion (HI) and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, government-employed teachers serve as itinerant teachers, while HI provides specialized training, technical support, and adapted learning materials. The ministry funds their salaries. This programme has helped reduce dropout rates, improve academic outcomes, and promote inclusion and awareness within school communities.
3. Education resources to students and families
Support for Girls
The government plans to improve access and retention for girls in areas with low enrolment by implementing targeted incentive measures. These include distributing school uniforms, learning materials, and hygiene kits, along with providing merit awards, scholarships, and cash transfers. This intervention is a part of the national equity strategy to reduce financial barriers and support the continued education of girls in underserved communities.
In line with this approach, 230,503 girls benefited from exemption from school examination fees in 2023, while 259,432 girls were exempted from secondary school fees. During the 2022–2023 school year, 923,116 girls also benefitted from the School Assur programme, which provides free health services, and 815,497 primary school girls alongside 121,227 preschool girls received textbooks and educational kits.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Filets sociaux et services de base (FSB) (Social Safety Nets and Basic Services)
Led by the National Agency for Basic Development Support (ANADEB), the Filets sociaux et services de base (FSB) programme was implemented in Togo from 2017 to 2023. The initiative was co-financed by the Togolese government and the World Bank. The programme aimed to reduce extreme poverty through three components: basic infrastructure rehabilitation and construction, social safety nets, and capacity building and project management. Within the social safety nets component, two key interventions are school feeding and cash transfers targeting the poorest communities and households in Togo. It provided 15,000 CFA francs every three months to over 61,000 poor households, helping them cover essential expenses, including children’s schooling costs. In parallel, it delivered daily meals to approximately 92,000 students across 304 primary schools in vulnerable regions. Beneficiaries were selected through a Proxy Means Test and validated through village-level consultations.
5. School meal programmes
In 2012, with support from development partners, the government established a locally sourced, integrated national school feeding policy, which was revised in October 2016. Targeting public preschool and primary schools, the policy aims to attract the approximately 7% of children who are still out of school and to ensure that all students have access to sufficient and nutritious meals by 2030, meeting both their energy needs and food preferences. In particular, the expansion of school canteen coverage in disadvantaged areas is intended to stimulate school demand in communities where households face financial hardship. This policy has since been formalised through a dedicated national school feeding law, which affirms the state’s commitment to ensuring the right to food for all students in basic education, particularly those in vulnerable areas.
This profile was reviewed by Kossi Edem YOVOGAN, Education Researcher, Dossè Mawussi DJAHINI-AFAWOUBO, Economist at the Université de Lomé, and Dr Kadanga Rita, Independent contributor.
