Govt should pay students ZIMSEC examination fees: ARTUZ

Teachers’ unions have implored the government to pay $2.9 billion examination fees for candidates writing Ordinary and Advanced level exams this year as 50% will not be able to sit for their examinations due to COVID19 effects.

Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe notes that parents and guardians have had their incomes eroded by the economic challenges being caused by the COVID19 pandemic.

The government recently increased examination fees which saw Ordinary and Advanced level students paying ZWL$1 648.00 and ZWL$2 400.00 per subject respectively.

On Tuesday ARTUZ wrote to the Minister of Finance and Economic Development Mthuli Ncube informing him of the situation which might result in a lot of learners not sitting for their exams.

Artuz implored the Finance ministry to settle the bill by July 13, 2021 to enable all candidates to sit for their exams.
“We write to you representing the interests of the hundreds of thousands of learners sitting for public examinations this year.”

“We conducted a survey and noted that 50% of our learners will not be able to pay for examination fees this year.”

“This is because families have lost incomes due to COVID-19 disruptions, among other challenges. These learners will lose out on the right to education, which is against the provisions of section 75 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, “ Artuz said.

Following the review of examination fees, Political Opposition Party MDC Alliance had called for an urgent review saying that.

The increase comes at a time citizens are still reeling from the ongoing economic crisis and are experiencing the negative effects of COVID-19.

While the increases are anti-poor and violate the ordinary student’s right to access basic, state-funded.