About 800 000 Zimbabwean orphans and disadvantaged children who depend on state assistance to pay school fees may be unable to enrol when the new term begins next week.
Under the Basic Education Assistance Model (Beam), the government had allocated Z$3,8-billion (about US$753 000) to pay the school fees of orphans and disadvantaged children, but Lancelot Museka, the Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare permanent secretary, announced this week that the money had run out after just one term of the school year.
Zimbabwe’s economic crisis has led to job losses, making it impossible for growing numbers of parents to pay tuition fees. Unemployment now stands at 80%, and is rising as businesses continue to fold. For those still employed in the formal sector, low wages in a hyperinflationary environment have worsened a situation that is often already desperate.
The announcement that the Beam had run out of funds came after hard-pressed guardians of Beam beneficiaries had made representations to government to expand the programme to include the purchasing of exercise books.
“We had budgeted Zim $3,8-billion to pay school fees for HIV/Aids orphans and disadvantaged children this year. However, the money has run out because the schools are constantly hiking fees, leading to an early exhaustion of the funds and a drastic decline in the number of beneficiaries,” Museka explained.
Most schools have hiked tuition fees to an average of Z$500 000 (US$913) per term, with some private institutions demanding as much as Z$2,5-million (US$4 900), in defiance of a government directive to seek prior approval for an increase from the ministry of education. The schools cited high inflation, currently around 600%, and a need to maintain educational standards as reasons for the increases.
Primary school textbooks now cost between Z$50 000 (just under $10) and Z$100 000 (just under US$20), while the lowest-priced textbook for secondary school costs Z$80 000 (about US $15). Exercise books range from Z$3 000 (US$0,59) to Z$7 000 (US$1,30) each, translating into an average expenditure of Z$168 000 (US$33) on exercise books alone for one upper secondary school pupil.
Minister of Education Aneas Chigwedere acknowledged that the per capita grants allocated to schools for the acquisition of textbooks were insufficient, given the high inflation rate, but alleged that negligence by schools was aggravating the situation.
“Schools are given per capita grants every year. Yes, the money may not be enough, because it is not meant to be enough anyway. The major problem is that schools do not take care of their textbooks. Most are stolen and re-sold at black market prices on street corners,” said Chigwedere.
The Beam programme was set up in 2001 to pay tuition and examination fees for the growing number of children being forced to drop out of school because their parents or guardians could not afford to keep them there.
Since 2001, 1,7-million pupils have benefited from successive Beam allocations. The total number of beneficiaries for 2004 was projected at 800 000. – Irin