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 2023, the official entrance age to pre-primary education was 3 years old.There is no available data regarding the number of years of free pre-primary education granted in legal frameworks and the number of years of compulsory pre-primary education granted in legal frameworks. For 2022, the net enrolment rate for pre-primary for both sexes was 67,75%.
Governance
The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with other ministries (currently the MFIS), is responsible for the pedagogical coordination of preschool education nationally. This mission is implemented in each municipality through local coordination by the School Delegations, decentralised services of the Ministry.
Tuition-free status
Public pre-primary education is not tuition-free according to national laws and policies.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
At the decentralised level, Education Delegations manage the implementation of educational policies in the country's 22 municipalities. The Delegates oversee preschool, basic, and extracurricular education, providing support and information to system users, guiding school operations, and ensuring proper use of human, material, and financial resources. With recent powers granted to municipalities, Delegates also liaise with local authorities, particularly concerning preschool education and school network management.
To strengthen this subsystem, regulations are being prepared to manage preschool education by local authorities in coordination with the Ministry of Education's decentralised and central services and private operators. Municipalities will be responsible for i) creating, licensing, and closing preschool establishments; ii) ensuring the operation of existing preschools with necessary resources; iii) recruiting childcare and preschool management professionals; and iv) supporting private initiatives that comply with legal requirements.
2. Education resources to institutions
Preschool education financing depends on the promoting entities. Public pre-schools’ costs are covered by municipal budgets, while private kindergartens and those run by NGOs and foundations are largely funded by families through tuition fees. To encourage private sector participation, municipal councils have subsidized attendance for children from low-income families in some private kindergartens.
Additionally, the Strategic Education Plan (2022-2026) has a focus on equity across all education levels, with a special focus on expansion of interministerial partnerships and partnerships with municipal councils to promote access to and participation in preschool education, with a specific focus on child nutrition and health, prioritising the most vulnerable children.
In 2024, the government, in support of GPE funds, launches the Priority Education Reform Support Programme (PAREP) to enhance the quality and accessibility of early childhood education in Cape Verde. This programme extends the government's commitment to inclusive, quality education, recognising that preschool and compulsory basic education are foundational to the education system, in line with SDG-4 and the Strategic Education Plan. The plan aims to ensure all boys and girls have access to quality early childhood development, care, and preschool education, preparing them for basic education.
3. Education resources to students and families
No financial support mechanisms for pre-primary have been identified.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
The Ministry of Family and Social Inclusion, under the "Programme to Guarantee Access to Education," covered attendance costs for children from low-income families and monitored the respective processes in Praia, S. Vicente, S. Antão-Paul, Maio, and S. Nicolau. This programme was to be extended to all municipalities in the country during the 2017-2021 period.
Additionally, the National Social Security Institute (INPS) provides the family allowance (abono de família) to help families cover the costs of supporting and educating children and youth with recognised social protection rights. According to Law 131/2001, benefit eligibility depends on the family’s income level. Resolution No. 89/2016 created an interministerial group to design and monitor the Programme to Guarantee Access to Income, Education, Care, and Health, aiming to reduce inequality and poverty by increasing income for vulnerable groups. Key components include indirect transfers to families, municipal contracts to provide medical care and medication under the non-contributory system and guaranteed preschool access for low-income children. In 2017, the Single Social Registry (Cadastro Social Único) was established as the central database for vulnerable families receiving social transfers.
