News / Education
Zimbabwe schools examination fees increased
04 Mar 2011 at 05:35hrs | Views
ZIMSEC has marginally increased public examination fees for this year.
Ordinary Level exam fees rose by US$1 to $11 and Advanced Level fees from US$20 to US$22 per subject for Zimbabwean candidates.
However, the deadline for payment was not available yesterday with Zimsec officials saying they were waiting for direction from the Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Ministry on the matter.
Education officials said they would probably be able to give a date today.
Last year's deadline was May 28.
The US$11 O-Level fees are for basic, science, practical and oral subjects.
Foreign O-Level candidates will pay US$35 per basic subject while oral, science and practical subjects are pegged at US$11 each.
Zimbabwean A-Level candidates will pay US$22 for basic fees while oral and science/practicals fees are going to be US$16.
The fee for practicals was US$15 last year.
Basic fees for foreign A-Level students will be US$53 while oral and science/practicals will be US$16 per subject.
The increase, though marginal, will come as bad news for poor families - particularly in rural areas.
The registration level in rural schools was low last year with the situation particularly dire in the Matabeleland region.
About 15 000 pupils are understood to have failed to register for exams owing to financial problems last year.
The Government subsequently said it would pay for their registration, but it could not be ascertained yesterday if this money did get to the examinations council.
Zimsec officials could not comment on the issue.
Observers yesterday said the marginal increase might be to cater that percentage of candidates who are anticipated to face problems in registering.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has said tuition fees at Government schools remain unchanged.
Primary schools in low-density urban areas will charge US$10 for Zimbabwean pupils while foreign pupils will pay US$150 per term.
High-density primary schools will charge US$5 for local students while their foreign counterparts will pay US$150.
Zimbabwean primary school pupils in rural areas will not pay tuition fees while foreigners will pay US$150.
Secondary schools in low-density suburbs are to charge tuition fees of US$20 per term.
Foreign students in this category will fork out US$600 in tuition fees.
High-density secondary schools in urban areas will charge Zimbabweans US$10 tuition fees whereas foreign students will pay US$600.
Foreigners in rural areas are to pay US$225 for form one to six, while Zimbabweans will pay US$5.
In a statement, the Permanent Secretary for Education, Dr Stephen Mahere, reminded schools not to send students away due to unpaid levies.
"Schools are reminded that no child should be excluded from school for non-payment of levies.
"In the event of non-payment, school authorities should sue the parent or legal guardian," he said.
He encouraged parents, guardians and orphans who cannot afford to pay part or all of their school fees to apply for funding under the Basic Education Assistance Module through the school heads.
"No school is allowed to charge unapproved school fees and levies," Dr Mahere added.
Source - Byo24News
