Wale hits out at lack of priority in education sector

Leader of Opposition Hon Matthew Wale has expressed serious concerns over the alarming imbalance in the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development’s 2026 budget.

Hon Wale said the figures reveal a structure that cannot support the country’s long-term education needs.

He said the Public Accounts Committee hearing made one issue painfully clear and that is almost the entire education budget continues to flow into recurrent spending, while development funding remains stuck at the bottom.

“For a ministry of this size, with responsibilities that shape the future of our country, spending 94% on recurrent costs and only five percent on development is simply not good enough,” Hon Wale said.

Hon Wale said this imbalance raises serious questions on the government’s priorities.

He adds senior secondary classrooms are overcrowded and yet the government has no vision to fix the real concerns affecting our education sector.

“Rural schools lack basic infrastructure. Teachers still struggle with poor housing. Key reforms like TVET expansion, digital learning and senior secondary upgrades cannot move forward without real investments in development,” he said.

“MEHRD has ambitious plans. They talk about curriculum reform, expanding senior secondary, upgrading TVET, and second chance pathways. None of these can exist on paper alone. They need proper development funding or they will stall. The current ratio tells us the government is not serious about fixing the structural problems in our education system.”

The Opposition Leader also highlighted that a large portion of donor supported infrastructure spending does not appear in the Appropriation Bill. 

Hon Wale said this weakens Parliament’s oversight role and raises transparency concerns.

“Donor funds from ADB and the Global Partnership for Education are not reflected in the budget. If Parliament cannot see the full picture, then the public cannot hold anyone accountable for how these millions are used,” he said.

He said the ministry should aim for the government’s own guideline of 80% recurrent and 20% development and work with Finance to rebalance the internal budget mix.

“Education is an investment. It is not a cost. If we want a stronger labour force, stronger communities and a stronger economy, then we must put our money where it matters. Right now the imbalance is too large and the government needs to fix it,” Hon Wale said.

The Opposition Leader urged the government to align the ministry’s resources with the real needs of students, teachers and education providers across the country.

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Opposition office statement