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Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter

Parents and guardians who are turned away by school authorities for not producing cash for examination fees payments, should report to Government for corrective action to be taken.

This was said by the Secretary for Primary and Secondary Education Mrs Tumisang Thabela in an interview on Tuesday.

The intervention comes as reports grow that most schools were demanding $90 per subject in cash.

“Heads of schools are therefore directed to accept as forms of payment namely swipe, mobile money platforms, bank transfers or any other authorised forms of payment.

“Parents and guardians are directed to report to any district education office school authorities who are demanding cash for Zimsec examination fees,” said Mrs Thabela.

Parents are paying $90 per subject while Government pays $100 for O-Level examinations. One enjoys the Government subsidy when writing a maximum of seven subjects.

Candidates sitting for A-Level examinations will pay $165 per subject while Government comes in with $186 to take the total to $351 per subject.

Zimsec has indicated that it accepts all forms of payments in line with the call by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, to promote a cashlite society.

Government will pay 53 percent of June and November examination fees for all candidates in public schools following an outcry over increases by Zimsec.

Registration is in progress and was expected to end on April 9 for June exams.

It could not be established last night when the process would be concluded since schools closed on Tuesday.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Cain Mathema has said the Government had since released $150 million towards exam preparations. Meanwhile, Zimsec spokesperson Ms Nicky Dlamini said their June exams have not been cancelled.

“We are guided by what was announced by the President that the dates of re-opening of schools would be announced in due course taking into consideration the situation on the ground.

“So as we speak there has not been any changes but we would stand guided by what the Government would say going forward,” she said.

Ms Dlamini said they were an independent institution that would not be guided by decisions made by CAIE.

“The context at Cambridge is different to what is prevailing here in terms of how they have been affected by the pandemic.

“We are two separate entities and our focus is on Zimbabwe and our local examinations,” she added.

This follows the cancellation of all Cambridge exams for the May and June sittings across the world by the British examinations unit that runs them, after schools closed in many countries.