Tons of food and hundreds of millions of tenge remained in schools. What to do with them?
In 2020, 15 billion tenge was allocated for meals for children in schools. However, schools closed in the fourth quarter. Some of the money and food were not useful.
In the fourth quarter, Kazakhstani schoolchildren study remotely. Budgets saved on food for those who were fed for free. Now local officials decide how to dispose of the unused millions.
Meanwhile, tenants of school canteens complain that food purchased for future use is disappearing in warehouses. There is no technical possibility to separate them into families in need.
Informburo.kz found out what the saved money would be spent on and what situation the tenants of school canteens and their employees faced.
Unused money remains in the school budget
In the structure of school education there are foundations for universal education, financed from local budgets. As a rule, money is allocated to:
• school uniform and clothing;
• stationery;
• textbooks and manuals;
• vouchers to health resort organizations;
• free meals for children from socially vulnerable groups of the population;
• providing financial assistance to the family of a student in a difficult situation, etc.
In 2020, 422 657 children were to receive assistance from the universal education funds. 35 billion tenge was allocated, 15 billion of them - for free meals. Some of them remained undeveloped due to the transfer of schoolchildren to distance learning.
The Ministry of Education does not finance schools, so it cannot dictate what to spend money on. Each district, city and region independently distributes them.
"The funds that remain unused from the funds for universal education remain in the school budget and are directed to priority areas. No matter how they decide in each region, I personally support a single approach so that everyone does the same. Buying the same laptops, tablets, routers will be children from a socially vulnerable category are provided for, "said Vice Minister of Education Bibigul Asylova.
The main expense item is the purchase of laptops
The Informburo.kz correspondent called the regional education departments to find out how the money saved on food would be spent. In some regions, the amounts reach hundreds of millions of tenge. They are spent in different ways, but many are solving the problems that the transition to distance education has exposed - the lack of technology for both teachers and students. Therefore, the main expense item is the purchase of computers and routers.
In Nur-Sultan, the savings were redistributed in several directions:
• Internet connection;
• purchase of computers for students and teachers;
• installation of video surveillance in educational institutions.
In Almaty, food for one child cost about 10 thousand tenge per month. 20 446 children were fed free of charge. The Department of Education says that there is no need to buy office equipment or furniture for schools. Therefore, the issue of redistributing money has not yet been resolved.
In Shymkent, they have not yet calculated how much they will save, but have already decided what they will spend the money on.
"First of all, we will increase the number of children in summer camps, buy things for children from poor and large families, part of the funds will be spent next New Year in the form of gifts or financial support," said Zhanat Tazhieva, head of the Shymkent education department.
In the Akmola region, 17 thousand schoolchildren were fed free of charge during classes. In the fourth quarter, about 200 million tenge was saved on food. The Education Department recommended spending them on computers for distance learning.
Akim of Atyrau Kairat Orazbayev said in an interview to a local channel that 37 thousand schoolchildren were fed free of charge in the city. Savings - 254 million tenge. With this money, they plan to buy laptops, which will be given to students from low-income families and large families for temporary use until the end of the school year.
The East Kazakhstan region managed to buy and distribute routers for 10 thousand children, 400 SIM cards with Internet traffic by the end of the school year.
In the Zhambyl region, each district independently decides on what to spend funds from the funds for general education. Food baskets have already been distributed to schoolchildren from low-income families. There are no problems with the lack of office equipment in the region.
In Karaganda, in January-March 2020, about 3200 students were fed free of charge. In the fourth quarter, about 36 million tenge was provided for food.
"We cannot now finally plan our actions. But if in the summer they are allowed to organize rest for students at schools, then these funds will go to food for children in school camps. We are going to cover high school students, offering them specialized camps in individual subjects. I think that students Missing school, they will spend summer time at school with pleasure and benefit, "said Gulsum Kozhakhmetova, head of the Karaganda Department of Education.
Schools of Pavlodar region returned the saved funds to the budget. Officials plan to buy computers, furniture and video cameras for schools.
In the North Kazakhstan region, 116 million tenge was saved on food for schoolchildren in the fourth quarter. With this money, they bought and distributed 596 computers to students.
The same decision was reached in the Turkestan region.
School canteen tenants ask to be allowed to distribute food to those in need
School canteen tenants stopped working on March 14. Non-perishable foodstuffs that entrepreneurs bought for future use remained in the warehouses. Businessmen from Almaty offer to distribute foodstuffs to families of low-income schoolchildren as compensation for food.
"Approximately about 11 thousand tenge goes out for each child. In the canteens there are cereals, butter and something else that could be handed out. However, in schools we were not allowed to do this," says Gulnara Mamaeva, chairman of the Association of School Food Enterprises.
According to entrepreneurs, they would be happy to help low-income families and families with many children out of their own pockets, but the problem is getting around the city during quarantine.
"We cannot get permission to move. So it turns out: neither give out what we need, nor do charity work. It's scary to imagine how difficult it is for large and low-income families now. Everyone was left without work, money and food," adds Gulnara Mamaeva.
One of the tenants of school canteens managed to bypass the rules to distribute food sets, bought with his own money. The man did not want to give his name. He asked a friend who has permission to move around Almaty to distribute food packages.
“I asked the principals of the two schools I serve for the addresses of large families. I went through 20 students. I bought and delivered them essential products. I did this primarily for myself, not for the sake of PR, so I did not tell anyone. I came without warning. , gave it and left, "says the man.
The tenants of school canteens in Karaganda also help those in need with food packages. Baskets are delivered to anyone who asks for help through the hotline.
Employees of school canteens cannot receive 42 500 tenge
Members of the Almaty School Catering Association say they paid their employees in full in March. Although there were actually fewer working days.
"I serve two schools in Almaty, there are only 12 employees in these canteens. It turns out that the cooks will not work for almost six months: from March to September. I asked my accountant to help the employees arrange 42,500 tenge," says a tenant from Almaty Georgy Postnov.
The Chamber of Entrepreneurs of Almaty says that not everyone who works in the field of school meals was able to apply for an allowance.
“Every day entrepreneurs turn to me, complaining that their employees were denied payment of 42,500 tenge. Of course, in March they still had receipts, but this money in the accounts is intended for salaries and the purchase of food. And the Ministry of Labor sees that the tenant the school canteen had money in March, and they refuse to accrue benefits to employees, "says Saltanat Lesbaeva, head of the department for protecting the rights of entrepreneurs at Atameken NPP.
The tenants of school canteens no longer hope that their services will be useful during the summer during the school camps. They now only worry about being given enough time to prepare for the next school year.
Перевод статьи:301 группа.Нуркабекова А
Source: https://informburo.kz/stati/tonny-produktov-i-sotni-millionov-tenge-ostalis-v-shkolah-chto-s-nimi-delat.html
In the fourth quarter, Kazakhstani schoolchildren study remotely. Budgets saved on food for those who were fed for free. Now local officials decide how to dispose of the unused millions.
Meanwhile, tenants of school canteens complain that food purchased for future use is disappearing in warehouses. There is no technical possibility to separate them into families in need.
Informburo.kz found out what the saved money would be spent on and what situation the tenants of school canteens and their employees faced.
Unused money remains in the school budget
In the structure of school education there are foundations for universal education, financed from local budgets. As a rule, money is allocated to:
• school uniform and clothing;
• stationery;
• textbooks and manuals;
• vouchers to health resort organizations;
• free meals for children from socially vulnerable groups of the population;
• providing financial assistance to the family of a student in a difficult situation, etc.
In 2020, 422 657 children were to receive assistance from the universal education funds. 35 billion tenge was allocated, 15 billion of them - for free meals. Some of them remained undeveloped due to the transfer of schoolchildren to distance learning.
The Ministry of Education does not finance schools, so it cannot dictate what to spend money on. Each district, city and region independently distributes them.
"The funds that remain unused from the funds for universal education remain in the school budget and are directed to priority areas. No matter how they decide in each region, I personally support a single approach so that everyone does the same. Buying the same laptops, tablets, routers will be children from a socially vulnerable category are provided for, "said Vice Minister of Education Bibigul Asylova.
The main expense item is the purchase of laptops
The Informburo.kz correspondent called the regional education departments to find out how the money saved on food would be spent. In some regions, the amounts reach hundreds of millions of tenge. They are spent in different ways, but many are solving the problems that the transition to distance education has exposed - the lack of technology for both teachers and students. Therefore, the main expense item is the purchase of computers and routers.
In Nur-Sultan, the savings were redistributed in several directions:
• Internet connection;
• purchase of computers for students and teachers;
• installation of video surveillance in educational institutions.
In Almaty, food for one child cost about 10 thousand tenge per month. 20 446 children were fed free of charge. The Department of Education says that there is no need to buy office equipment or furniture for schools. Therefore, the issue of redistributing money has not yet been resolved.
In Shymkent, they have not yet calculated how much they will save, but have already decided what they will spend the money on.
"First of all, we will increase the number of children in summer camps, buy things for children from poor and large families, part of the funds will be spent next New Year in the form of gifts or financial support," said Zhanat Tazhieva, head of the Shymkent education department.
In the Akmola region, 17 thousand schoolchildren were fed free of charge during classes. In the fourth quarter, about 200 million tenge was saved on food. The Education Department recommended spending them on computers for distance learning.
Akim of Atyrau Kairat Orazbayev said in an interview to a local channel that 37 thousand schoolchildren were fed free of charge in the city. Savings - 254 million tenge. With this money, they plan to buy laptops, which will be given to students from low-income families and large families for temporary use until the end of the school year.
The East Kazakhstan region managed to buy and distribute routers for 10 thousand children, 400 SIM cards with Internet traffic by the end of the school year.
In the Zhambyl region, each district independently decides on what to spend funds from the funds for general education. Food baskets have already been distributed to schoolchildren from low-income families. There are no problems with the lack of office equipment in the region.
In Karaganda, in January-March 2020, about 3200 students were fed free of charge. In the fourth quarter, about 36 million tenge was provided for food.
"We cannot now finally plan our actions. But if in the summer they are allowed to organize rest for students at schools, then these funds will go to food for children in school camps. We are going to cover high school students, offering them specialized camps in individual subjects. I think that students Missing school, they will spend summer time at school with pleasure and benefit, "said Gulsum Kozhakhmetova, head of the Karaganda Department of Education.
Schools of Pavlodar region returned the saved funds to the budget. Officials plan to buy computers, furniture and video cameras for schools.
In the North Kazakhstan region, 116 million tenge was saved on food for schoolchildren in the fourth quarter. With this money, they bought and distributed 596 computers to students.
The same decision was reached in the Turkestan region.
School canteen tenants ask to be allowed to distribute food to those in need
School canteen tenants stopped working on March 14. Non-perishable foodstuffs that entrepreneurs bought for future use remained in the warehouses. Businessmen from Almaty offer to distribute foodstuffs to families of low-income schoolchildren as compensation for food.
"Approximately about 11 thousand tenge goes out for each child. In the canteens there are cereals, butter and something else that could be handed out. However, in schools we were not allowed to do this," says Gulnara Mamaeva, chairman of the Association of School Food Enterprises.
According to entrepreneurs, they would be happy to help low-income families and families with many children out of their own pockets, but the problem is getting around the city during quarantine.
"We cannot get permission to move. So it turns out: neither give out what we need, nor do charity work. It's scary to imagine how difficult it is for large and low-income families now. Everyone was left without work, money and food," adds Gulnara Mamaeva.
One of the tenants of school canteens managed to bypass the rules to distribute food sets, bought with his own money. The man did not want to give his name. He asked a friend who has permission to move around Almaty to distribute food packages.
“I asked the principals of the two schools I serve for the addresses of large families. I went through 20 students. I bought and delivered them essential products. I did this primarily for myself, not for the sake of PR, so I did not tell anyone. I came without warning. , gave it and left, "says the man.
The tenants of school canteens in Karaganda also help those in need with food packages. Baskets are delivered to anyone who asks for help through the hotline.
Employees of school canteens cannot receive 42 500 tenge
Members of the Almaty School Catering Association say they paid their employees in full in March. Although there were actually fewer working days.
"I serve two schools in Almaty, there are only 12 employees in these canteens. It turns out that the cooks will not work for almost six months: from March to September. I asked my accountant to help the employees arrange 42,500 tenge," says a tenant from Almaty Georgy Postnov.
The Chamber of Entrepreneurs of Almaty says that not everyone who works in the field of school meals was able to apply for an allowance.
“Every day entrepreneurs turn to me, complaining that their employees were denied payment of 42,500 tenge. Of course, in March they still had receipts, but this money in the accounts is intended for salaries and the purchase of food. And the Ministry of Labor sees that the tenant the school canteen had money in March, and they refuse to accrue benefits to employees, "says Saltanat Lesbaeva, head of the department for protecting the rights of entrepreneurs at Atameken NPP.
The tenants of school canteens no longer hope that their services will be useful during the summer during the school camps. They now only worry about being given enough time to prepare for the next school year.
Перевод статьи:301 группа.Нуркабекова А
Source: https://informburo.kz/stati/tonny-produktov-i-sotni-millionov-tenge-ostalis-v-shkolah-chto-s-nimi-delat.html