Govt reverses O, A-Level exam fees hike

Harare, (New Ziana) – Government on Wednesday reversed the recent astronomical hike in ‘O’ and ‘A’ Level examination fees, pending further consultations.

There was a huge public outcry two weeks ago after the Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council increased fees to $190 per subject for Ordinary Level examinations from $15, and $351 from $26 for Advanced Level.

With most candidates writing a minimum of 10 subjects at ‘O’-Level, parents would have had to fork out at least $1 900, which is out of reach for many, especially given that they also had to contend with steep school fee hikes at the beginning of the first term.

Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Cain Mathema said candidates writing examinations this year will for now pay the old fees until a final position is agreed.

“While the examination fees that were published are based on the actual cost of each examination, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education would like to inform parents and guardians that following further representations, the recently released circular on the 2020 examination fees has been cancelled with immediate effect,” Mathema said.

“New fees will be announced after further consultations have been made
with relevant stakeholders.”

Examination fee payment deadlines, set for February 28 and March 27 for the
June and November examinations respectively, remained unchanged, the Minister said.
New Ziana