GOVERNMENT is in the process of clearing outstanding Basic Education Assistance Module (Beam) bill from 2023 after struggling to get funding from Treasury, a Cabinet minister has said.
Authorities recently revealed that the constricted fiscal space to cover children whose fees are paid for (Beam) could see beneficiaries dropping out of school or facing lawsuits for fees arrears.
Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion minister Mthuli Ncube told the House of Assembly recently that the government does not have fiscal space to cover Beam owing to changes in the macro-economic environment.
Beam is a government programme introduced in 2001 to pay tuition, examination fees and levies for underprivileged learners.
Some schools have gone for more than two years without receiving Beam payments according the National Association of Secondary School Heads and National Association of Primary Heads.
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare minister July Moyo acknowledged delays in disbursing Beam funds, attributing them to government cashflow challenges.
He was responding to queries raised by legislators during the question and answer session on Wednesday this week.
“Beam funds come from the Finance ministry and it depends on the cashflow. So, sometimes it delays because government will be having other priorities, but government says, even if it is found late, no learner must be turned away from school.
- Teachers, other civil servants face off
- Veld fire management strategies for 2022
- News in depth: Zimbabweans choke under weight of worsening service delivery failures
- Magistrate in court for abuse of power
Keep Reading
“Right now, we are in the process of clearing the 2023 debt. I know all schools are aware that learners who are catered for under Beam, the government will make sure that they are paid for.
“Indeed, I am aware that schools will face cashflow problems but we should all understand that the problem affects the child who is not supposed to be affected in such a way.”
Beam has over the years been seriously affected by underfunding resulting in it experiencing challenges as several children under its sponsorship failed to access education because their school fees had not been paid.
The government has since admitted that there is widespread abuse of Beam funds and late disbursement, acknowledging the mismanagement that has plagued the programme.
Despite not paying for the programme the government has warned schools against turning away learners on Beam over non-payment of fees arguing that the Constitution does not allow pupils to be turned away from school.
For years, government has been promising free basic education but has failed to implement the policy.
In 2020, President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed into law the Education Amendment Act which compels the State to provide free basic education in line with the provisions of section 27 of the Constitution.
Government pays school fees for at least 1,8 million learners out of an estimated six million.
