Financing for equity in pre-primary education
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to institutions
3. Education resources to students and families
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Introduction
Key financing indicators (UIS Data)
The official entrance age to pre-primary education is 5 years old. In 2024, the net enrolment rate for pre-primary (both sexes) was 34%.
Governance
The Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture (MoEAC) is responsible for the financing of pre-primary education, which is considered a part of formal basic education (one year before the entrance into grade 1 at age 7).
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (MGECW) funds early childhood education and care for children below the pre-primary age, although the government aims to transfer the oversight of all early childhood education services under the MoEAC through a new Early Childhood Development Directorate. According to a government report, this would entail higher levels of subsidisation per child in early childhood development centres and a separate budget for this level.
Tuition-free status
According to the 2020 Basic Education Act, pre-primary education is included as part of free and compulsory basic education. Pre-primary education is included in the Universal Primary Education (UPE) grants.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
Regions receive funding from the MoEAC based on student enrolment numbers, which they then use to allocate resources to individual schools (including at the pre-primary level). The current funding model does not adjust for regional or income disparities.
2. Education resources to institutions
Universal Primary Education Grants
Regional allocations to schools at the pre-primary and primary level include grants for Universal Primary Education (UPE), introduced in 2013. Allocations under this programme follow an equalisation funding model, with each learner receiving N$300 at the pre-primary/primary level for the 2024/25 academic year. This model does not account for regional or income disparities.
Students with disabilities in resource schools or special classes receive fivefold the mainstream allocation—N$1,500 for primary, reflecting the higher costs of learning materials.
Under the 2021–2030 School Grant Policy, the MoEAC has updated the school funding system to a needs-based formula running from 2025 to 2029. Allocations will consider school location, poverty levels, and access challenges, aiming to reduce national educational disparities, improve rural school services, and ensure equitable access to teaching materials. This includes funding for disability-friendly infrastructure and assistive technologies for learners with disabilities.
The government may also provide aid to private schools in the form of subsidies, provision of materials or provision of teachers, in accordance with the 2020 Basic Education Act.
3. Education resources to students and families
The government does not offer subsidy or bursary schemes for students at the pre-primary level.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Marginalised Communities Education Support Programme
The Marginalised Communities Education Support Programme, managed by the Division of Marginalised Communities within the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication, and Social Welfare, provides financial and transport assistance to indigenous students from the San, Ovatue, and Ovatjimba communities across all education levels, from early childhood to tertiary level. Support includes transportation to boarding schools.
