Team set up to address BEAM payment modalities
AN inter-ministerial subcommittee has been set up by the Government 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 Torerayi Moyo, revealed this yesterday while addressing school heads in Bulawayo at St Columbus 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, 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 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 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