Government rejects World Bank advice

THE GOVERNMENT has rejected a World Bank suggestion to include uniforms and textbooks in the Basic Education Assistance Module (Beam), NewsDay can report.

Beam, although underfunded, is a social welfare program through which the government pays tuition fees to disadvantaged and orphaned children. And due to lack of funding, school principals frequently dismiss Beam students due to arrears in school fees.

In its recently released Zimbabwe Gender Assessment report, the World Bank also suggested that the government should consider expanding the Beam package to include children with disabilities.

It also called on authorities to strengthen science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs by targeting more girls to improve enrollment in technical disciplines at higher and tertiary levels.

However, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education spokesperson Toungana Ndoro dismissed the report saying the government will not be informed on how to implement state-funded programmes.

“They are not going to tell us how we are implementing our state-funded education. We have ways, policies and means by which we do it as the Government of Zimbabwe,” Ndoro said.

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“We cannot listen to the opinions of those who do not stay in Zimbabwe and are not going to force us to do things the way they want us to do them.

“We have our priorities that we are taking on and that is to ensure that we provide all Zimbabweans with quality, relevant, accessible and healthy education.”

Ndoro said the government managed to pay Beam funds for the first term, while the remaining funds for the second and third terms are still in process.

“All schools received their Beam funds for 2024, the first semester. They received their funds. We are working as a government to ensure that in the second term they also receive Beam funds.

“Remember that we have a tripartite committee that involves the vice ministers of Primary and Secondary Education, Finance, Economic Development and Investment and Promotion and Public Services, Labor and Social Security.

“So the agreement is that every quarter, all schools that have children in Beam receive their funds. For the first term, that has already been done,” she stated.

Ndoro issued a stern warning to schools sending their students home to Beam due to fee arrears.

“No Beam child should be expelled from school for non-payment of fees. That is not all. Throughout the country no child should be expelled from school for non-payment of fees.

“Remember, the contract for the payment of school fees is between the school and the parents. It is not between the school and the student. Therefore, students are supposed to continue receiving their education, while the school and parents work out modalities to ensure that they pay school fees.”

However, he asked parents to prioritize the payment of school fees so that schools can function properly.

“We have a cocktail of disciplinary measures that we are going to take to school principals,” Ndoro added.