One of President Robert Mugabe’s enduring legacies is the access to education that he has provided to Zimbabweans, which has seen the country’s literacy rates rise to the highest in Africa.
Zimbabwe boasts one of the most educated and literate populations on the continent, but this reputation risks being undone due to government’s failure to pay fees under the Basic Education Assistance Module (Beam).
Beam is meant to provide a safety net for children whose parents cannot afford school fees, while at the same time ensuring that schools continue to be well-funded and they do not offer a critical service for free.
Primary and Secondary Education minister Lazarus Dokora[/Caption]
It is, thus, disheartening to learn that schools are owed $64 million due to the government’s failure to honour fees due under Beam.
What this means is that a number of government and council schools are now financially hamstrung and their ability to offer quality education is compromised by the very government that claims to have education at the core of its priorities.
If the government continues to fail to pay Beam fees, then schools would have no choice, but to restrict the number of pupils whom they accept on the programme and this has telling effects on particularly the vulnerable children of society.
What this means is that the government is literally playing Russian roulette, not only with the futures of thousands of pupils, but also with the whole education system.
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Primary and Secondary Education minister Lazarus Dokora last week confirmed in the Senate that the government owed schools $64 million, but advised schools that they should not bar pupils under the Beam project from accessing their results.
While that stance is laudable, the government must also play its part and ensure schools get what they are owed in time, so that they continue offering services. Instead of just giving orders, the government must be seen to be at the forefront of promoting both learners and schools.
How the government waited for the debt to rise up to $64 million is beyond belief and points to a system where authorities are averse to paying, yet they are at the forefront of issuing orders.
As the economy has faltered, schools infrastructure has also deteriorated in a shocking manner and the longer the government takes to disperse fees under the Beam programme, the more schools become dilapidated.
The government must be seen walking the talk, as that is the only way we can maintain the high literacy rates that we so pride ourselves in.
We urge the Social Welfare and Education ministries to put their heads together and see how best they can clear these arrears.
If the government does not work to secure the education sector by paying Beam funds and other dues now, then Mugabe’s much lauded education policies will look nothing more than an urban legend in the not so distant future.
