MECYS says falling enrolment is tightening public education funding
MECYS says enrolment fell by 913 students from December 2020 to December 2025, reducing funding flexibility for public schools.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport said public education is facing funding pressure as enrolment declined by 913 students between December 2020 and December 2025. Minister Melissa Gumbs said funding for school boards is based on enrolment recorded in the December before an academic year, so lower student numbers generally mean less structural funding.
According to the ministry, lower overall subsidies mainly reduce the money available for incidental requests from funded school boards. The budget for projects and activities rose from Cg 7.8 million to Cg 11.8 million, including Cg 1.6 million from Temporary Work Organisation funding for the Council of Education and Labour Market and secondary vocational education.
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The ministry said Cg 2.8 million is earmarked for priority reforms, including reviews of learning environments, the Foundation Based Education curriculum and function books and compensation structures. It also plans three parallel assessments in 2027: the Early Grade Reading Assessment, the Early Grade Mathematics Assessment and national assessments for Groups 3, 5 and 7.
School transportation has a 2027 allocation of Cg 3.9 million, covering payments to operators and technical support for the fleet-tracking system, the ministry said. The proposed maintenance allocation for seven public schools is Cg 315,000. The ministry said that amount will not cover the full repair backlog.
A public tender for structural assessments, extended after the first tender received no bids, is scheduled to close on 30 October 2026. The ministry identified Marie Genevieve de Weever School, Ruby Labega Primary School and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School as having the most urgent needs. Ruby Labega Primary School roof work is expected to go to tender before the end of 2026.
The Department of Public Education estimates public schools need about Cg 1.1 million to Cg 1.4 million annually for materials, compared with a current allocation of Cg 282,000. The ministry said it is also budgeting 43 vacancies in public education for 2027, including 23 positions for the Educational Care Center.
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