Angola's privately-owned schools authorised to levy 100% fees

 Angola's Public-private and private educational institutions have been authorised to charge 100 percent of monthly tuition fees, as from October 2020.

The move is part of the strategy of gradual return to classes in general education from October 5, after six months of suspension, as stated in Government Decree.

Angolan Government had ordered the suspension of charging the tuition fees in all public, public-private and private education institutions in July.

In April the Executive ordered the collection of up to 60 percent in private education institutions and up to 25 percent in public-private institutions (subsidised).

In a joint Executive Decree, reached ANGOP, the Ministries of Finance, Education and Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation once again authorise the collection and payment of 100 percent of the tuition fee in the referred institutions, during the period of classes defined in the readjusted school calendar.

According to the document, the charge is subject to the reconfirmation of enrollment by parents and guardians.

It determines that compensation should be guaranteed to students who have made advance payments for tuition fees during the period of validity of the State of Emergency.

It also requires that the total number of months paid for the academic year in question does not exceed 10 months for transition classes and 11 months for exam classes.

"It bans fines, interest on arrears and other financial penalties to students and guardians who have not paid the fees corresponding to the period of the State of Emergency up to the date of the face-to-face resumption of classes", states the Decree.

According to the new calendar, classes in the universities and the transition classes of the 1st and 2nd cycles of secondary education (6th, 9th, 12th and 13th classes) resume on October 5.

The students from the 7th, 8th, 10th and 11th grades return and in the 2nd cycle of secondary education are expected back to school on 19 October. Those in primary education and the 1st cycle start on 26th October.

With the classes divided into groups, in primary education and 1st cycle, classes will last for 2 hours and 30,  while in the 2nd cycle of secondary education 3 hours and 30, without taking any break.

Available data indicate that the country has two thousand schools (primary, 1st and 2nd cycle of secondary education), of which 666 are in Luanda. These have a 1.5 million  students enrolled.

Higher education has 57 private and public-private institutions, where around 200, 000 students are enrolled.

In general, the country controls 18,229 schools (with 97,445 classrooms operating in general education), with more than 10 million primary school students enrolled, 1st cycle of secondary education and 2nd cycle of secondary education .

The sector has 200,000 teachers.

The country has a total of 8 public universities, 7 public higher institutes and 57 private and public-private institutions.