Schools in Rwanda opened this week with managers having to figure out how to deal with the rising prices of food.

When schools closed at the end of last year, prices were at a peak and remained high even with the early harvest in December.

Some schools are now considering slimming the menu or even finding new funding sources for the additional food budget.

Parents may be called to chip in, at least in a bid to avoid disrupting the normal school meal programme, according to those in charge of school management.

“We need to talk with the parents about this situation; otherwise we shall be struggling because, unlike last year students will do 39 weeks in school —or three additional weeks and more money to cater for them notwithstanding the trend of prices in the food market,” said Wilson Safari, headteacher of Ecole Secondaire deNyarutovu in Northern Gakenke District.

Parents contribute over 80 per cent to their children’s meals in public boarding schools after government slashed the capitation grant funding from Rwf156 to only Rwf56 per student per day last year to support the school feeding programme in 9-12-year education schools.

Most schools had as a result raised fees to between Rwf8,000 and Rwf20,000 citing high operating costs.

Ezra Hakuzimana, the headteacher at Ecole des Sciences de Gisenyi said given that this year’s budget for the school was based on last year’s prices,  the school will struggle to sustain students without supplementary fees.

Parents are staring at yet another financial strain due to inflation blamed largely on a poor harvest due to poor weather that resulted in flooding and drought.

Mr Safari estimates that there is a need for fees increment of Rwf12,213 per student per year, or about Rwf4,000 per student per school term to be able to maintain his school’s normal meal programme.

Schools’ shopping list

Most boarding schools were last week stocking up on food ahead of students’ arrival over the weekend. Some schools decried a deficit of between Rwf5 million and Rwf10 million.

For instance, while the food budget for schools with over 450 students amounted to approximately Rwf44.5million last year, Rwf50 million is needed to feed the same number of students as per the current market prices. Irish potatoes that sold at Rwf220 a kilo last year now go for Rwf260 a kilo.

A kilo of beans and sweet potatoes sold at Rwf195 and Rwf515 respectively, now stands at Rwf300 and Rwf600 respectively. Maize flour and rice are the only commodities featuring on the schools’ shopping list whose prices didn’t significantly rise, selling at Rwf600 and Rwf1,000 respectively, compared with last year’s Rwf580 and Rwf980 respectively.

However, while Education Ministry officials are aware of the schools’ budget shortfall vis-à-vis the market prices, they are averse to increasing fees unless it was decided and communicated to parents earlier.

“If that hasn’t been the case, we should not expect any change and if it happens we shall condemn it,” The State Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Isaac Munyakazi, said.