GOVERNMENT has said its earlier plans to roll out free education needs consideration and requires serious resource mobilisation strategies.
Primary and Secondary Education minister, Torerai Moyo, however, said the government was committed to ensuring free education for all despite resource challenges.
“It is true, the government has the intention that from Early Childhood Development (ECD) up to Grade 7, children should have free education,” Moyo said.
He had been asked when the free education for all policy would be implemented.
“That is the aim of the President. So, this is not new. It is an issue that we are seriously considering and it will not take us three years to implement,” he said.
“We need to mobilise the resources so that people benefit. Free education comes in various forms.”
“There is the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) for those children that come from less privileged parents and they can go from ECD A up to grade 7 for free.”
BEAM is a social welfare programme where the government pays tuition fees for the disadvantaged and orphans.
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BEAM has, however, been affected by underfunding from Treasury.
“In underdeveloped areas like my communal home, Muzarabani, Guruve and Kariba, children in those areas do not pay school fees. They are going to school for free. There is a grant that is being used to cater for their fees,” he said.
“Those that pay do so because they will have reached an agreement that the school wants to build accommodation for the schoolteachers and levies are going to be paid. The ministry is approached with proposals and approval is granted.”
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.
For years, the government has been promising free basic education, but has failed to honour the promise.
