O-Level examination fees up Minister Dokora
dokora

Dr Dokora

Harare Bureau
Government has increaseded Ordinary Level examination fees with immediate effect from $13 to $15 per subject.
In a move likely to bring reprieve to parents and guardians, the government also approved that candidates in both examination and non – examination classes be allowed to do part payment of their examination fees.

Government has, however, not adjusted examination fees for all Advanced Level subjects that have remained at $26 per subject.

Addressing journalists in Harare yesterday, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Lazarus Dokora, said Cabinet’s decision, which came after “a thorough process of consideration,” would enable the Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council (Zimsec) to put in place a robust and watertight examination security system.

Government last set examination fees in 2013 and there was a two-year moratorium.

Practical subjects and oral subjects’ fees have also been increased to $15, up from $13.

“This Cabinet decision on the examination fees always comes after a through process of consideration. I’m happy to state that it was a necessary process, which led to a decision with a balance on affordability and the need to secure system credibility.

“At Ordinary Level, there is a modest rise in examination fees. This upward review of Ordinary Level examination fees comes on the back of two years of a moratorium when the fees remained pegged at $13 per subject. The years concerned were 2013 and 2014,” he said.

Minister Dokora said government policy had been always to make education accessible to all and it was in that regard that Cabinet approved the principle of allowing candidates from both examination and non-examination classes to do part payment towards their examination  fees.

He said this would be done at specified rates per subject, while spreading payments until they were fully paid up by the beginning of the second term of every examination year.

Minister Dokora said Cabinet also approved a contribution by parents towards the cost of Grade Seven examinations and modalities were being worked out on how this could be achieved.

“While examination costs are unavoidable, the desire is that Zimsec holds fees within manageable limits as possible so that the disadvantaged of our society are not unduly penalised. Our system of education is one of the best in the world.

“Our qualifications are internationally recognised and Zimbabweans enroll at institutions of higher learning with the greatest ease. Unfortunately, the excellence of our system has attracted the attention of criminals who seek to reap where they did not sow,” he said.

Minister Dokora said many have sought to fraudulently obtain the O-Level Certificate and people were prepared to pay huge amounts of money to obtain free knowledge of the content of question papers and unduly increase their chances of passing.

He said school heads; particularly the acting ones have leaked question paper content to prospective candidates or in some way given them undue assistance.

“While the law enforcement agencies have their role, it is incumbent on Zimsec to put in a robust and watertight examination security system.

“To do this, they need to be adequately resourced. It is in this context that Cabinet has allowed a modest increase in fees at O-Level to help cushion Zimsec on costs of achieving a tamper-proof examination delivery monitoring system,” he said.

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