ZIMSEC Urged To Reconsider 1 200 Per Cent Exam Fees Hike

The Junior Parliament has petitioned the government to direct the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) to reduce the recently announced examination fees.

The Junior Minister of Youth, Sports Arts and Recreation Tinashe Ngirandi said the examinations body should have consulted widely before coming up with the fees. He said:

[On Tuesday] as the Junior Parliament of Zimbabwe, we petitioned the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to reduce examination fees that were set by Zimsec because they are unreasonable and beyond the reach of many. The new structure of exam fees is an infringement on the Zimbabweans’ right to education.

… more children won’t sit for the examinations. How can they afford to pay that kind of money when they are struggling to pay school fees of $130 per term.

ZIMSEC increased examination fees to $190 per subject from $15 for Ordinary Level candidates and $351 per subject from $26 for Advanced Level candidates.

Closing dates for payments and submission of entries for June 2020 examinations is 28 February while the closing date for November is 27 March.

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