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THE right to education is a social and fundamental right that should be afforded every global citizen. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) says, “Education is a fundamental human right and essential for the exercise of all other human rights. It promotes individual freedom and empowerment and yields important development benefits… Education is a powerful tool by which economically and socially marginalised adults and children can lift themselves out of poverty and participate fully as citizens.”
It is within this context that the Government of Zimbabwe since 1980, sought to ensure that this fundamental right is achieved all citizens by ensuring that universal education is accessed by all irrespective of social and/or political class.
Government financed education programmes, and during the early years of independence also provided free education at primary school level.
However, due to a number of socio-economic challenges, a policy framework, the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) was introduced, based on “a policy and legal framework that is designed to provide quality education to children, including specific policies aimed at supporting orphans and vulnerable children”.
Undoubtedly, millions of recipients have benefited from the policy programme, and continue to do as indicated in a story in this issue of The Herald where Government has received US$10 million from development partners to pay schools fees for vulnerable children under the Basic Education Assistance Module (Beam).
US$10 million is a lot of money and it is our sincere hope that it will cover the outstanding amounts from the first term and also this term.
This cash injection from Zimbabwe’s partners restores confidence in the education system and the affected children since some schools were turning away pupils under the Beam programme. It is also hoped that the monies are disbursed to the schools without the usual red tape.
Notwithstanding Government’s desire to ensure that every child attains universal education, we question some of the prioritisation in allocation of funds.
Why did the purchase of motor vehicles for parliamentarians take precedence over the educational needs of these advantaged children?
The other issue regards transparency and ensuring that the intended beneficiaries do actually benefit from these disbursements? This is the responsibility of school heads working together with the children’s parents or guardians and the line ministries.
How tight are the checks and balances?
While we might not have the statistics of the Beam beneficiaries since 2001, we would want the ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to reassure the nation that the project like other well-meaning projects initiated by Government in the past has not been taken advantage of and abused by those with political and economic muscle.
Is Beam benefiting the people it is meant to benefit or we have elites abusing their positions in the ruling party, Government and the private sector, sending their children and/or relatives’ children to school at the expense of the intended beneficiaries?
This has happened with the agricultural input scheme, humanitarian assistance, housing schemes and others. With corruption eating away every fabric of our society, has Beam been spared?
The million-dollar question is whether the US$10 million will be paying for deserving children, while needy children are not going to school.
Despite the economic challenges the country is facing, it is imperative that children’s education rights are prioritised because they are the future. This requires forward planning.
Online Reporter
dyton mupawaenda