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Patrick Chitumba, [email protected]

GOVERNMENT has been commended for extending the deadline for Ordinary and Advanced Level examination fees payment to give parents and guardians adequate time to raise the funds.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerayi Moyo yesterday said the deadline for the registration for the November 2024 Examinations has been shifted to May 17 as the Government took heed of concerns from legislators, guardians and parents who had said they were failing to meet the deadline initially set by the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (Zimsec).

Some examination centres had set today as the deadline.

“I can confirm that the Government has extended the deadline for payment of examination fees for Ordinary and Advanced Level examinations to May 17,” said Minister Moyo.

“Government is aware of some challenges that are being faced by parents in mobilising examination fees and this grace period will give them time to register for their children.”

He said the examination fees shall be paid in Zimbabwe dollars at the prevailing interbank rate while parents who wish to pay in US dollars and the South African rand, could still do so.

Zimsec has already sent a circular to examination centres advising of the changes: “This circular serves to advise heads of examination centres, candidates, parents, guardians and all stakeholders that the council has extended the registration period for the November 2024 examinations to 17 May 2024”, reads part of the circular.

Accordingly, heads of examination centres should ensure that all candidates are registered during the extended registration period.

Examination centres have been urged to take advantage of this period to deal conclusively with the following: registering new candidates, validating candidates’ bio-data (correcting names and dates of birth), amending candidates’ registration data (adding or deleting subjects), managing and concluding the registration of BEAM candidates.

Zimta chief executive officer Dr Sifiso Ndlovu commended the Government for extending the examination registration period.

“This extension is welcome and will serve to accommodate many of our teachers whose salaries have been eroded by inflation and with the anticipated salary review coming short of restoration of purchasing power, the extension was inevitable, giving most of our teachers the opportunity to mobilise exam fees,” he said.

Dr Ndlovu said the extension further allows BEAM committees to finalise need cases who may have been left out, thus fulfilling ideals of inclusivity.

A parent based in Gweru, Mr Garikai Chikwata, said he was happy with the extension period.

“I am very happy that my prayer has been answered. I was failing to access funds to register my sister’s children who are doing O-level,” he said.

Mrs Thelma Tshuma, a teacher from Mkoba 13 said the extension of the deadline would enable her to raise the fees on time.

The 2024 full cost of the examinations for Ordinary and Advanced Level will be US$24 and US$48 per subject respectively.

However, Government has chipped in to ease the burden for candidates in public schools who will pay 45 percent of the examination fees per subject with the Government paying 55 percent.