Chronicle Editor
Trish Mukwazo, [email protected]
LUVEVE High School has not received Basic Education Module Assistance (BEAM) money in the last three years after it failed to submit acquittals amid concerns that Treasury has not disbursed fees for the same programme in the past two years to some schools.
The delays in disbursing BEAM allocations is said to be compromising the delivery of quality education.
Government pays school fees for vulnerable pupils under the BEAM programme and more than 1,5 million children are covered under the programme. However, there has been consistent outcries that Treasury delays in disbursing the funds.
Responding to questions regarding the allocation of BEAM funds to schools in Emakhandeni and Luveve in Bulawayo, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Deputy Minister, Cde Mercy Dinha, said the Government last released funds for the BEAM programme in 2022.
Matshayisikhova Primary School, Luveve Primary School, Josiah Chinamano Primary School, Mtshingwe Primary School, Emakhandeni High School, Inyanda High School and Luveve High School are all found in Emakhandeni and Luveve suburbs.
She said Luveve High School did not receive its allocation due to its failure to provide receipts for beneficiaries of the programme at the school.
“I want to take this opportunity to encourage all schools to submit claim forms in time so that their information is captured early and allow payments to be made on time,” said the Deputy Minister.
“Fees for the years 2023 and 2024 respectively are outstanding in all schools in question as tabulated before. At Inyanda Secondary school, ZiG4 604 600 was paid and that was the amount that was due but for 2023, the arrears are not yet paid as well as for 2024.
“Then there is Emakhandeni Secondary school, the amount that was due was also paid. In 2022 for the three terms that is ZiG3 214 450, for 2023 and 2024 respectively, the arrears are not yet paid. For Luveve High School, the arrears are not yet paid for 2022, 2023 and 2024 because they did not submit their claims. For Luveve Primary, the arrears were paid in full for the three terms in 2022 but for 2023 and 2024 they are not yet paid.
“Matshayisikhova Primary arrears are paid in full for the three terms in 2022 as well as for Josiah Chinamano Primary and Mtshingwe Primary,” said Deputy Minister Dinha.
She said her ministry was lobbying the Ministry of Finance Economic, Development and Investment Promotion to timeously disburse funds for BEAM.
Emakhandeni-Luveve National Assembly member, Mr Discent Bajila, had requested the ministry to provide a breakdown of how much schools in his constituency are owed.
Following Deputy Minister Dinha’s response, Harare proportional representation legislator, Ellen Shiriyedenga, said it was worrying that more schools are yet to receive their BEAM allocations. She said delays to pay the fees was affecting the smooth running of schools at a time when parents and guardians were also not paying fees.
“At one school in Midlands, there was an indication that only about 30 percent of the parents have paid. In that respect through your collaboration with the Minister of Finance and Investment Promotion, what are the measures that you are putting in place to actually cushion those schools that have not received funds from BEAM and also where parents are failing to pay?” said Ms Shiriyedenga.
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