Fictitious schools. The number of public primary schools recorded in a school district in the Atsimo Andrefana region does not always correspond to the reality on the ground. “I go down to the field unannounced to carry out monitoring. A school fund allocation of three million ariary is sent to each school to support pedagogical activities such as the production of teaching materials. I have with me a list of primary schools to visit. Arriving at the indicated location, I walk around the village and ask where the public primary school is. People are a bit surprised and answer me: but there is no school here,” says a source from a school district.
She adds that her journey led her to even more staggering situations. “In another commune, there is indeed a school, but there are neither students nor teachers. I then call the number of the school director that appears on my list. The latter replies that he is working in the fields and the students are at the market because it is market day,” she continues.
The source says that the report she drew up after these field visits never reached its recipient. “Politics is involved. Politicians call me so that I do not denounce the unfortunate characteristics that I observed on the spot. The education sector has always been politicized. And unfortunately, the sector is not moving forward,” she adds.
In the fokontany of Anja Belitsake, rural commune of Itampolo, Ampanihy district, students have deserted the public primary school. They have joined a private school. “Parents prefer to send their children to this private school, even if it means paying tuition fees and registration fees and complying with the requirements of the establishment. Even if this school limits the number of students, parents insist that their children be enrolled,” says Sanina, a volunteer teacher in Anja Belitsake. For her, it is both a good and a bad thing. “It is a good indicator of the parents’ motivation for their children’s schooling. It is bad for public schools that have lost students,” she explains.
However, non-volunteer teachers at the public school continue to receive various allowances from the Ministry of National Education.
Captured & Published at: 2026-09-12 06:23:34 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/09/toliara-leducation-primaire-en.html