WATCH: Government to expedite BEAM payments to schools

GOVERNMENT has set up an inter-ministerial subcommittee to address issues relating to delays in the disbursement of Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) funds, which has seen some schools going for more than a year without receiving payments.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerai Moyo revealed this yesterday while addressing school heads in Bulawayo at St Columbu’s High School where he also read the riot act against school authorities for sending away pupils over non-payment of fees.

Minister Moyo is on a nationwide crusade to ensure that schools comply with the ministry’s regulations and Bulawayo is the sixth province to be visited since schools reopened.

Prior to addressing the education sector stakeholders, Minister Moyo gave the National Association of Secondary Heads (Nash), National Association of Primary Heads (Naph) and Independent Colleges opportunity to make submissions on issues that need to be addressed.

The school authorities highlighted several challenges with non-payment of fees, teacher remuneration and staffing levels being among the top concerns.

Nash and Naph said apart from parents, the State-funded BEAM was being delayed hence affecting the smooth running of schools. The Government pays school fees for at least 1,8 million learners out of the estimated six million learners.

In his response, Minister Moyo said the Government has taken steps to address the challenges caused by delays in the payment of BEAM funds. “We also have BEAM facilities and the concerns raised by Naph and Nash are legitimate that the trend has been that the Ministry of Finance has been delaying the disbursement of BEAM funds,” he said.

“Year 2024 is the year of African education and we have made an engagement with the Minister of Finance (Prof Mthuli Ncube). We have actually established sub-committees to look into quick disbursement of BEAM funds.

“Just yesterday, the first meeting of that sub-committee was held and our Permanent Secretary (Mr Mike Mhike) was in attendance,” said Minister Moyo.

He said Deputy Finance Minister, Cde David Kudakwashe Mnangagwa, will chair the subcommittee while Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Angeline Gata and Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Deputy Minister Advocate Mercy Dinha will be members of the committee.

Minister Moyo said delays in the disbursement of funds is like denying the schools money and it was worrying that a year can lapse with some of the institutions not receiving funds.

“Some schools you last got BEAM payment in the first term of 2023 and in some schools BEAM payment has taken two years. It’s not right. We are going to solve that issue and because we are in that year of our own education as Africans, we are going to come up with new modalities that will result in quick disbursements of BEAM funds,” he said.

Minister Moyo said the Government will also tighten measures on the individuals who should benefit from BEAM as there is evidence that the facility is being abused while it is supposed to benefit the less privileged. He said BEAM was part of the Government’s safety nets to ensure that no pupil is left behind in terms of accessing education with orphans and those with peculiar cases where parents and guardians cannot afford should benefit.

He also said the Government will not tolerate unruly behaviour where school heads send pupils away due to non-payment of fees. “Let me warn defiant school authorities that we are going to apply the law. We can’t continue to tolerate a situation where school authorities turn away children. That is illegal,” said the minister.

Continues on www.chronicle.co.zw

“It’s unconstitutional. We are compiling a list of schools who are defying and we are definitely going to take action. People are saying the Ministry of Education is a toothless bulldog. We have instruments in place and we are going to call on provincial education directors and district schools inspectors to charge those schools.

“We have instruments in place. We can’t tolerate this mis-behaviour where people turn away learners.”

Minister Moyo said the ministry will activate district command centres where reports can be made on the defiant school authorities. He said some of the school heads will be removed if they continue to turn away learners.

Instead, Minister Moyo said school authorities should sue parents or petition Parliament to enact tougher laws for parents and guardians not paying fees.

“Find ways of collective fees. Engage debt collectors and a debt collector will not demand any payment from you, from the school. They will demand payment from the parent or guardian who owes the school. What we don’t want is for you to embarrass our learners. No ways. We don’t want that,” he said.

The minister challenged parents and guardians to play an active role in ensuring that children get quality education through payment of fees on time.

“Delay in the payment of school fees and levies means that operations in schools will come to a halt and will come to a standstill,” said.

“It is an obligation for the parents and guardians that they pay school fees for their children and those children from underprivileged families we have the safety nets at disposal in the form of grant in aid in the most rural districts like Gokwe North, Binga and Lupane.”

-@nqotshili