The Sunday News
Mkhululi Ncube, Sunday News Reporter
SOME schools in Bulawayo have been demanding top-up school fees from pupils under the Basic Education Assistance Module (Beam) facility, a move that sees them double collecting and prejudicing parents and guardians.
Government has since declared that it is a criminal act for the schools to demand the top-ups fees for children supported by the Beam facility which is meant to provide a protection net for parents who have challenges paying fees.
The Government increased the Beam allocation to $5,6 billion this year to cater for an increasing demand as many people lost their livelihoods due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Government is targeting 1,5 million children under Beam but investigations by this publication revealed that some schools were demanding school fees from parents on top of Beam payments made by the Government.
Covid-19
A resident who has two grandchildren under Beam at Lobengula Primary School in Mzilikazi suburb said there was no transparency in the handling of the matter as the list of pupils who qualify was not made public. He said he had been forced to sell some of his valuables in order to meet school demands.
“I inquired about the list of children who qualified under Beam but the head was not forthcoming. I was told that the money paid by Government for second terms, which was $6 000 was too little ,and we must top-up with $4 000. The reason why I applied for Beam is because I could not afford and therefore requested Government to assist me. The school even stopped our children from attending lessons and I had to struggle to raise the money they wanted,” said the 62-year-old.
Another parent with a Grade Six pupil at the same school said he registered for Beam after losing his job at the height of Covid-19 but was shocked when the school demanded that they pay top-up.
“I successfully registered my child for Beam after I lost my employment during the Covid-19 outbreak. I applied for Beam and I knew they were paying all the school fees but to my surprise Lobengula Primary School asked that we pay US$10 top-up on top of what Government paid. We tried to reason with the school but they never gave us satisfactory answers. What is also surprising is that even for the exam fees for Grade Seven, the school demanded that we pay even though Government said it was taking care of that,” said the parent.
A number of parents with children supported by Beam at the school also confirmed being asked to pay top-up fees and are now mobilising themselves to stop the practice. They have even formed a WhatsApp group which has over 150 parents and guardians to co-ordinate their concerns on how to address the problem.
Another school which is said to be giving parents a challenge was Masotsha High School. A guardian with a Form One pupil at the school said the school head was refusing to accept her grandson despite the fact that he did primary level supported by the fund.
“My grandchild was supported by Beam from Grade Two at Nzwananzi Primary School. In January I went to look for a place at Masotsha High School and I was given forms for enrolment. When he secured a place, the head then said everyone must produce a school fees payment receipt or the place will be forfeited. The head categorically told me that Government delayed payments. I was assisted by my neighbour who paid for me but after Government paid, the school refused to reimburse me,” said the guardian.
Two other schools in Entumbane suburb, Manyewu Primary School and Bulawayo City Council owned Mthombowesizwe Primary School are also said to be demanding school fees from parents and guardians who successfully applied for Beam saying Government was not honouring its applications.
In an interview, Chief Director Social Development and Disability Affairs in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Dr Edmos Mthethwa said it was a criminal act by schools to demand top-up fees from vulnerable parents and guardians.
“As long as we have determined that this is a vulnerable person it is the role of Government to look after its vulnerable key populations. Whatever demand they have in terms of schools fees they have to come to Government. We even pay examinations fees and so it is a criminal act and must not be allowed to happen and we encourage our beneficiaries not to give in to such demands from schools because we pay everything.
On the issue of schools claiming that they have not received any payment from Government, Dr Mthethwa said the ministry was yet to get the information and laid the blame back to the schools.
Dr Mthethwa said schools should follow the Beam manuals and other guidelines when selecting beneficiaries and other accountability measures so that everything was done above board.
Ministry of Primary and Secondary School director of communication and advocacy, Mr Taungana Ndoro said the move was illegal but could not comment further saying Beam was being administered by the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare.
