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REPORTS that there is serious abuse of the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM), a noble and kind gesture introduced by the government as a crucial safety net for the vulnerable children in 2001 is very disturbing and calls for immediate action to be taken against the culprits.
Already there have been reports that nearly a million pupils risk dropping out of school because of financial constraints after the government and donors cut funding for BEAM.
It is said the government intended to fund 750,000 primary and 250,000 secondary school pupils this year but with just $15 million allocated under the fund, it can only support 83,000 secondary pupils at a cost of $180 per child per term at government institutions.
However, while we all appreciate the economic situation the country is going through as a result of the sanctions we view with indignation and repugnance that there are some elements who are dipping their fat fingers into this basket meant for the poor.
Here we are talking about the fat cats who do not qualify under this funding meant for a poor child in Makokoba, Mbare, Binga and deep down in Muzarabani.
Elsewhere in this issue we carry a story where teachers’ unions called on the government to review the BEAM selection criteria as competition for the limited resources has seen the money not going to those who really need it.
The unions said the number of recipients had ballooned to one million in the past year because of “undeserving pupils” being considered.
The unions went further to suggest that teachers should be involved in the identification of needy pupils as they have great knowledge on the backgrounds of a majority of the children.
However, the director of social services in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Services, Mr Sydney Mhishi, said the government was not to blame for the selection criteria as it was community based.
He also said no school authority should participate in the selection exercise. Having outlined this we call on those involved in the selection to have a philanthropic heart and choose deserving children only. The children of chefs should not be part of BEAM and if they are caught, their mothers and fathers should be named and shamed.
However, it is incumbent upon everyone to protect this noble fund, which the government introduced in good faith. We also call for full investigations to be launched into this issue as education is a right for every child. The poor children should not be prejudiced because of selfish individuals.
Online Reporter