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Government should come hard on school authorities that are demanding cash payment for examination fees at a time when it is encouraging the use of plastic money.

One of the measures to minimise risk of exposure to Covid-19 is to avoid using cash which passes through many hands and school authorities that are insisting on cash payment for exam fees are therefore offside. The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) has said it is accepting all forms of payment so who wants this cash?

The Secretary for Primary and Secondary Education Mrs Tumisang Thabela urged parents and guardians to report school authorities that are demanding cash payment for examination fees to district education offices.

She said schools should accept swipe, mobile money platforms, bank transfers and any other authorised forms of payment. “Parents and guardians are directed to report defiant school authorities to any district education offices,” said Mrs Thabela.

Government was forced to subsidise exam fees for pupils at Government, council and mission schools after Zimsec increased O-Level fees from $15 per subject to $190 and A-Level fees from $26 per subject to $351. Following Government intervention, O-Level pupils now pay $90 per subject while Government pays $100 for each subject.

A-Level candidates now pay $165 per subject while Government pays $186 per subject. A candidate writing eight O-Level subjects at a Government, council or mission school now needs more than $800 excluding the centre fee.

Where will parents or guardians get that kind of money in cash given the general shortage of cash? We have already stated that Zimsec is accepting all forms of payment so the school authorities are the ones that want the cash so that they can sell it.

What the school authorities are doing borders on fraud and there is an urgent need to get to the bottom of this scandal meant to fleece parents. Parents and guardians are now being forced to buy very expensive cash at the black market.

The Government’s move to subsidise exam fees will not lessen the burden on parents and guardians as long as school authorities demand cash payment.

School authorities should be sensitive to the plight of parents who are struggling to raise even the reduced exam fees. Some pupils have been forced to drop some subjects because their parents can only afford to pay for few subjects.

We want at this juncture to implore Government to move in quickly and rein in these errant school authorities.