ST MARY’S legislator Dickson Unganai Tarusenga (MDC-T) has urged parents to be actively involved in the selection of Basic Education Assistance Module (Beam) committee members instead of leaving everything to school authorities in order to curb abuse of the facility by civil servants.
By Albert Masaka
Speaking during a constituency feedback meeting last Saturday, Tarusenga said: “I need to emphasise that you, the parents, have the power, but maybe you are not aware of that. That is why you are approaching the headmasters. At the local level, the implementation of Beam is done by local stakeholders.
“The Beam selection committee should comprise of three members from the school, which includes the headmaster, and two from the parents’ association.”
This was after some parents had complained that cases of undeserving pupils who were benefiting from Beam were on the rise due to corruption by headmasters.
Beam is essentially a pro-poor fund responsible for disbursing tuition, examination fees and levies to underprivileged pupils.
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It was introduced by government in 2001, with some initial financial assistance mobilised by the World Bank as an educational funding component of the programme for poverty alleviation.
It is implemented in 61 districts and targets vulnerable pupils aged between six and 19 years.
Beam is administered by the Social Dimensions Fund in the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, while the Primary and Secondary Education ministry does the implementation under a memorandum of understanding signed by the two ministries.