Zimpapers Logo

remain unchanged.
Advanced Level examination fees rose by US$2 to US$24 while Ordinary Level fees rose by US$1 to US$12. This applies to the June and November 2012 examinations.

Grade Seven examinations fees for Zimbabweans are funded through a Government subsidy.
Only foreigners pay US$15 per subject. However, the deadline for payment was not available yesterday with Zimsec officials saying they were waiting for a Government directive.
Education, Sport, Arts and Culture secretary Dr Stephen Mahere said the US$12 fees are for basic Ordinary Level science, practical and oral subjects.

Foreign O Level candidates will fork out US$35 each for basic subjects while oral, science and practical subjects are pegged at US$12.
Zimbabwean A Level candidates will pay US$24 for basic subjects while oral, science and practical fees are going to be US$17 up from US$16.
The increases, though marginal, are bad news for poor families, particularly those in the rural areas.

Registration levels in rural areas have remained low in the past and the situation is dire in the Matabeleland region.
Over 15 000 failed to register last year because they could not raise examination fees while the number of registered candidates for this year’s examinations increased slightly.
Government subsequently said it would pay for the poor candidates’ registration.

However, there have been complains from Zimsec, the examination body, that nothing was being paid to run the examinations.
Government is the sole financier of Zimsec and the examination body usually relies on examination fees paid by the candidates.
The Basic Education Assistance Module, applied through school heads, has failed to accommodate most of the poor students. Dr Mahere said tuition at Government schools will remain unchanged.

Parents with pupils in low-density primary schools will continue paying US$10 while foreigners will pay US$150.
High-density primary schools will charge US$5 for Zimbabweans while foreigners will fork out US$150.
Zimbabwean primary school pupils in the rural areas will not pay tuition fees while foreigners have to part with US$150.

Secondary schools in low-density areas will charge US$20 tuition fees per term for all levels while those in the high-density suburbs will charge US$10.
Foreign pupils in this category will part with US$600.

Rural Secondary schools will charge US$5 for Zimbabwean pupils and US$250 for foreigners.
Dr Mahere said no school should charge unapproved fees.

“In coming up with the levels of fees charged in the current 2011, Government took into consideration the hardships faced by parents. As such in 2012 fees will not be increased in Government schools,” said Dr Mahere.

However, some Government schools recently applied to education authorities to increase tuition fees and levies.
Education Minister David Coltart said the increases were justified because Government was failing to adequately fund schools leaving them to look up to parents to chip in.