The increase, which came barely a month after the hike was reversed following a public outcry, would see Grade 7 pupils in public schools paying a total of $264, with government contributing $139 of the total amount.
‘O’ Level students in public schools would pay $90 per subject, while government will contribute $100 to the total cost. ‘A’ Level students would pay $165 per subject, with the government contributing $186 of the total amount of $351.
Initially, the examination fees had been increased to $190 per subject from $15 for ‘O’ Level candidates and $351 per subject from $26 for ‘A’ Level candidates.
In a statement, Primary and Secondary Education minister Cain Mathema yesterday said the examination fees had been reversed last month, as the government sought to make further consultations on the issue.
The reversal saw parents paying examination fees gazetted in 2015 and the deadline for the payment was February 28, 2020.
“I would now like to advise all parents and guardians with children in Grade 7, ‘O’ and ‘A’ Levels that, in 2020, government will be contributing 53 percent of the examination fees for candidates in public schools while parents and guardians will take up 47 percent.
“All candidates from private schools and colleges at Grade 7, ‘O’ and ‘A’ Levels will meet the full cost of the examination fees,” Mathema said.
He said the 53 percent that would be contributed by the government is for children attending government schools, local authority schools and not-for-profit mission schools.
He said the new deadline for the payment of examination fees had been moved to March 30 for the June examination and April 9 for the November examination.
Mathema, however, said children who would be re-sitting a failed June examination will have to pay the full amount without government subsidising, if they decide to write again in November of the same year.
“Government is releasing $150 million to Zimsec with immediate effect to get the preparations for the 2020 June and November examinations going and will avail the balance to Zimsec once the total candidature from the public schools for the June and November examinations is ascertained,” Mathema said.
