Schools chase away children under BEAM
SYDNEY SAIZE RECENTLY IN NYANGA
Several schools across the country are chasing away children under the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) owing to delays by the government to pay fees.
The latest development emerged at a recent three-day workshop on challenges faced by survivors of gender based violence held in the resort town of Nyanga.
The workshop was organised by Tearfund, a non-governmental organisation for GBV survivors drawn from participants from Esigodini, Umzingwane in Bulawayo, Mutoko (Mashonaland East), Nyanga and Marange (Manicaland).
“It is worrying that we get a guarantee from the government that our children who are under BEAM should not be chased from school. We realise that school authorities do not listen. Our children are forced out of classes for non-payment of school fees on time,” Rosina Mkwada from Chiadzwa village in Marange district, Manicaland Province said.
She added: “All this (government guarantee) is disregarded by school authorities who have become a law unto themselves. What is worrisome is that how will the learners be compensated for the lost learning time when the school fees are eventually paid.”
One headmaster said schools were not run on charity and needed the money to “run efficiently and effectively”.
“Parents have to make payment plans during school holidays and make such payments during that period. Ancillary staff for most big schools need to be paid on a monthly basis and if we treat parents with kid’s gloves we don’t get the money and the school would be paralysed,” the school head said.
“It is known that the government does not pay in time and as schools we will be in need of that money from BEAM and we are between a rock and a hard place. We have no choice but to send away the learners to force parents or their guardians to look for the money,” said the school head.
Ernest Maseru, Tearfund country director, said the organisation seeks to help come up with solutions and mechanisms that lessen the burden of survivors of gender based violence, share experiences, appreciations, and challenges in their journey to healing.
