Story by Peter Chivhima
THE Government has revealed that it will clear school fees arrears for pupils under the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) before the end of this school term as part of broader efforts to support the education for all initiative.
There is currently over one million pupils benefiting from the BEAM programme countrywide.
Officiating at Belvedere Junior School in Harare this Thursday where an early childhood development (ECD) classroom block was commissioned, the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Honorable Torerayi Moyo highlighted government’s commitment to clear fees arrears under the BEAM programme.
“Any official who turns away school learners for any reason, including non-payment of school fees or levies, is committing a crime,” he said.
“They are violating the law and the fundamental rights of the child as enshrined in the Constitution of Zimbabwe, which guarantees the right to access education. Officials who continue to disobey the law will be dealt with severely. We have a range of measures in place to penalize such officials, including suspension pending investigation and, in extreme cases, dismissal from the teaching profession, Honorable Moyo said.
The Minister and the Belvedere Junior School authorities highlighted the importance of prioritising the foundation of the country’s education.
“Today we have commissioned a state of art block, and this is a testament to the contribution of the private sector in the education sector. As government, we are committed to providing education to all, especially at early childhood,” Minister Moyo said.
“We prioritise ECD, hence we built this state of art complex here,” Belvedere Junior School Head, Mr Kennedy Nyakudya said.
The developments come at a time the government is the process of recruiting teachers as part of a broader initiative to employ eight thousand educators this year, and aiming to improve the teacher-learner ratio and enhance the overall quality of education across the country.
