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)
In the Comoros, the official entry age for pre-primary education is 3 years old. While data on the number of years of free and compulsory pre-primary education are not available, the net enrolment rate for pre-primary education fluctuated between 23.33% and 36.32% from 2013 to 2024.
Governance
The ministry primarily responsible for financing and overseeing the budget for pre-primary education in the Comoros is the Ministry of National Education (MEN), which manages the allocation, organization, and supervision of educational funds. There is also partial involvement from the Ministry of Health, Solidarity, Social Protection and Gender Promotion (MHSSPGP) and the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, which contribute to areas such as health, social protection, and Quranic instruction within pre-primary education. While MEN administers the main education budget and leads overall planning, coordination also takes place at the community level, where municipal councils work with zone leaders and primary school leaders, who are responsible for pre-elementary classes in consultation with school councils, and the expansion of pre-primary education ultimately depends on each school’s capacity to mobilise resources to open and sustain these classes.
Tuition-free status
Public pre-primary education in Comoros is not tuition-free according to national laws and policies.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
The Ministry of Education, working alongside the island education directorates and the three local education commissions of Ngazidja, Ndzuani, and Mwali, oversees school infrastructure and the recruitment of staff in accordance with civil service regulations. Article 67 of Law N°20-034/1U (2020) stipulates that the state must allocate annual grants and occasional supplementary subsidies to local authorities to support school operations and development initiatives. However, there is no available evidence on whether central-to-local funding is distributed through equity-oriented formulas or mechanisms.
2. Education resources to institutions
No evidence was found that government subsidies are specifically allocated to public pre-primary institutions in the Comoros or that any funding mechanisms include equity-targeted support.
3. Education resources to students and families
No evidence was found of any financial support mechanisms by the Ministry of Education for pre-primary education.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
No evidence was found of any social policies outside the Ministry of Education that support access to pre-primary education.
