The government has been urged to release funds for the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) promptly, enabling schools with BEAM beneficiaries to meet their financial obligations.
BEAM is a national school assistance programme launched by the Government of Zimbabwe in 2001 to pay school fees for orphans and vulnerable children.
The school authorities complained that the ministry delays in disbursing funds to the school and this stalls progress on projects that need money.
They were speaking at a meeting held at St Columbus High School, with the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Torerayi Moyo.
“One of the challenges that we are facing in our schools is the disbursement of BEAM funds. The government takes long to make payments for the beneficiaries and by the time the money comes, its value would have deteriorated,” a representative from the National Association of Secondary Schools said.
“Our wish would be that schools receive these funds in time. That way the money can be used when it still has value. It would go a long way in covering school expenses. As it stands, some schools have not yet received funds from last year.”
Dr Moyo acknowledged the concerns, citing that his office had received similar issues before and that plans were underway to address the matter.
“We do acknowledge that this is a pressing matter and many schools have been complaining about it. Schools need to understand that the money is not disbursed by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. The Ministry of Finance transfers this money to the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare. Then it is transferred to various school accounts,” Dr Moyo said.
“What we will do is we will call for a meeting with these two ministries and explain to them the challenges faced by schools. We will explain to them the need to disburse the money on time so that schools are not inconvenienced.”
Dr Moyo reiterated that it is important for schools to carefully select learners who can be placed under BEAM, not to benefit those who can afford school fees.
“I would like to urge you school leaders to ensure that the beneficiaries you select to be under this program are people who can genuinely not afford it. The number has been increasing and in some instances, you find that some people there are not as needy as the program requires. The program must benefit orphans who do not have people to assist them and those who are extremely vulnerable,” he said.
Meanwhile, the school authorities hailed the government for allowing school fees to be paid in foreign currency, citing that this would enable them to acquire much-needed resources.
They said most of the services they require are charged in foreign currency owing to the economic situation.
Dr Moyo said the government understands the plight of schools and (schools) must ensure that they properly make use of the foreign currency paid by parents.
“The fact that schools are now allowed to collect fees in foreign currency does not mean that you should force parents to pay in that currency. They should use the currency they can afford. If they have USD they must use it and if they have RTGS they must also use it. You should not burden them with demanding currencies that they do not have,” he said.
