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 four. Free pre-primary education is not granted in legal frameworks. Compulsory pre-primary education is not granted in legal frameworks. The net enrolment rate for pre-primary for both sexes was 28.22 in 2022.
Governance
In Eritrea, the Ministry of Education leads policy, planning, and budgeting for early childhood care and education and pre-primary programmes. The Ministry of Finance allocates and disburses public funds to the MoE and the Early Childhood Development (ECD) secretariat, as mandated in the 2004 Integrated Early Childhood Development (ECD) Policy.
The 2004 Integrated ECD Policy further assigns the six regional Zoba Education Offices the responsibility for coordinating the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of ECD activities in their respective regions, for establishing and maintaining regional ECD databases, for supervising lower-level ECD committees, and for ensuring that national ECD policy decisions are implemented locally.
Tuition-free status
Tuition-free pre-primary education is not granted in legal frameworks.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
Central government resources for pre-primary education and early childhood development (ECD) are channelled to subnational authorities within a centralised budgeting framework. The Ministry of Finance allocates an annual education budget to the Ministry of Education (MoE), which then distributes funds to its departments and to the six regional Zoba Education Offices in line with centrally approved plans under the 2018-2022 Education Sector Plan. Zoba and sub-Zoba offices prepare activity plans and budget proposals for ECD and pre-primary provision, but these are reviewed and adjusted at the central level. Regional offices are responsible for distributing resources to schools and implementing national priorities. The 2004 Integrated ECD Policy also calls on regional administrations to earmark a share of their own budgets for ECD services.
No information was found on a formal equity-based allocation mechanism exists, and a 2019 Ministry of Education report, Access to Quality Education for All Eritreans, notes regional variations in allocations.
2. Education resources to institutions
Public pre-primary and early childhood development services in Eritrea receive government subsidies as part of the general education and socialsector budget, but no information was found on a separate, formula-based equity grant earmarked specifically for individual pre-primary institutions.
Policy documents note an intent to prioritise disadvantaged populations, including children with special needs, rural and urban poor children and those in remote areas. The 2004 Integrated ECD Policy commits the Government to “ensure equity for all children” by financing the national ECD Secretariat and stakeholder ministries from the state budget and by requiring regional administrations to allocate part of their own budgets and mobilise community and partner resources for ECD provision. The subsequent 2018-2022 Education Sector Plan seeks to address the significant number of pre-primary age children who are out of school and the significant disparities among regions, rural urban residences and household wealth that persist.
However, most equity-focused initiatives are supported by development partners, while the government prioritises funding for adult literacy, non-formal education programmes, and access to TVET.
3. Education resources to students and families
No information was found on financial support mechanisms for pre-primary education funded by the Ministry of Education.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MLSW) is the primary government body responsible for social welfare, targeting people with disabilities, disadvantaged children, families of war veterans, the elderly, and the poor. MLSW, in partnership with UNICEF, implements a cash transfer programme that provides households with financial support and income-generating opportunities to improve access to education and health services. The programme operates through the existing community-based social assistance mechanism and is primarily funded by UNICEF.
