The Zimbabwean government redirected millions of US dollars allocated for the Basic Education Assistance Model (BEAM) program to fund preparations for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit in August 2024.
At a recent event in Mhondoro, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Torerayi Moyo, acknowledged that the redirection of BEAM funds led to unexpected school dropouts, low attendance, and hardship for students. Moyo (via Bulawayo24) stated:
I am aware of the unintended school dropouts, poor attendance, and suffering caused by withholding and delaying BEAM fee payments nationwide. We sincerely apologize to all beneficiaries and the affected communities.
The funds that were meant for BEAM were used to finance the SADC Summit, an event we successfully hosted. While it was outside of my control to stop the spending on the Summit, I assure you that there will be noticeable improvements in education systems and policies going forward.
We pledge that everything is now in order, and there will be no further delays or mishandling of funds meant for beneficiaries.
We are aware of the difficulties faced when we failed to pay school fees on time and are committed to correcting this issue and ensuring every child can return to school to meet their educational goals.
We are also exploring funding from the Schools' Improvement Grant to help renovate cyclone-affected school buildings in Mhondoro.
Moyo also promised to secure funding for Muzavazi Secondary School to upgrade it from a satellite school to a fully accredited institution. He said:
I will allocate US$5,000 in complementary funding to Muzavazi Secondary School to help it evolve into a formal institution with an examination center and secure storage for exam materials.
From the data we received, we learned that Muzavazi achieved a 12.5% pass rate in 2023 and improved to 19% in 2024, highlighting the need for infrastructure improvements such as a secure room for exam papers.
Additionally, Moyo promised to organize a celebration for Muzavazi Primary and Secondary (Satellite) Schools if they surpass his target of a 50% pass rate, plus 1%, over the next three to four examination years.
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