Call to Scrap US$2,500 ZIMSEC Fee Gains Momentum as Educators Cite Inequality
Educators are urging the Government to scrap ZIMSEC’s US$2,500 annual registration fee for private colleges, saying it limits access to education and unfairly burdens learners.
The appeal was made during a public hearing on the Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council Amendment Bill, currently under review in Parliament.
Private colleges, which have expanded rapidly in recent years, are playing a critical role in bridging gaps left by limited public school infrastructure.
Elliott Dzindikwa, Director at Trust Academy, said the fee was making it expensive for learners to register for exams.
“The US$2,500 makes it expensive for some learners to register for examinations. We believe the Government should not discriminate against private colleges,” he said.
Professor Washington Mahiya of the Association of Independent Colleges of Zimbabwe echoed the concern, noting that many private institutions operate in new settlements where government schools are absent.
He said the registration fee should be uniform across all school types.
“We believe that the fees should be the same whether it is a Government, council, mission school or private college. The colleges are playing a big role, especially in new settlements where there are no Government schools,” said Professor Mahiya.
According to The Herald, the Government currently subsidizes examination fees for learners in public, council, and mission schools, while those in private institutions are required to pay the full amount.
Stakeholders argued that this disparity places an unfair financial burden on students attending private colleges and undermines the principle of equal access to education.
The hearing also addressed examination integrity and security. Ms. Tendai Munatsi proposed harsher penalties for exam malpractice, suggesting a five-year jail term without the option of a fine, instead of the two years proposed in the Bill.
“I believe the penalty should be increased from the two-year jail term being proposed in the Bill to five years without an option of a fine,” she said.
Zimbabwe Teachers Association spokesperson Ms. Daisy Zambuko welcomed the proposed creation of a chief executive officer post at ZIMSEC, saying it would enhance accountability.
She also recommended that ZIMSEC manage its own transport for distributing examination papers, rather than outsourcing to private contractors.
“We also propose that instead of hiring private players to distribute examination papers, ZIMSEC should have its own transport to distribute them countrywide as a way of improving security,” Zambuko said.
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Primary and Secondary Education, Cde Supa Mandiwanzira, emphasized the need to strengthen ZIMSEC’s credibility and regional standing.
He said ZIMSEC qualifications are already accepted internationally.
“Our students who have written ZIMSEC examinations are accepted by international universities in the same way as those who have written Cambridge examinations.
“So, what is needed is to ensure that we make ZIMSEC an examination board of choice regionally and even globally,” he said.
