Online Reporter
Caroline Mutsawu in Hwange
A number of learners may be unable to take their Grade Seven examinations following revelations that some primary schools in the Hwange District are demanding fees more than double the amount specified by the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (Zimsec).
It has emerged that some schools are demanding fees as much as US$55 instead of US$30 arguing that part of the money goes to administration costs.
One of these schools, Mashala Primary School, located 18 kilometres from Hwange Town, has come under scrutiny for charging such prohibitive fees.
Parents report that the school is demanding US$30 from each Grade Seven pupil, supposedly to cover transport costs for delivering exam papers to Hwange before sending them to the regional centre.
One concerned parent stated, “We are being forced to pay more than expected, which is troubling compared to other schools. We tried discussing this with the School Development Committee (SDC) and the school head but were told the amount was agreed upon. We are struggling to pay these fees, and with debt collectors involved, many students may not be able to take their exams.”
Mashala Primary reportedly has over 35 Grade Seven and 40 Grade Six learners with the latter paying US$25 while the former pays US$30.
That means the current Grade Seven class paid US$25 in 2024 while they were in Grade Six and are now supposed to pay US$30 totalling US$55. Last year, Grade Seven candidates were charged US$45 for their final exams.
Another parent, who asked to remain anonymous said last year they faced a similar situation where parents had to pay US$45 per candidate.
“This year, during a parents’ meeting, we were told the exam fee would be US$30 on top of the US$25 we already paid.”
Another parent, questioned the logic behind the inflated fee, particularly for transport logistics, arguing that delivering papers to the district office or Hwange Government School costs only US$3.
Mr David Ndlovu, the SDC chairperson, confirmed that Mashala Primary is charging above the gazetted fee.
He added that the newly elected SDC inherited a previously agreed fee of US$45, which they eventually negotiated down to US$35.
“The headmaster has stated that the extra funds are necessary for transport, organising students’ papers and downloading software. Parents are unhappy and we have attempted to address this issue but to no avail. We thought the exam fee was US$15, and we were shocked by the new amounts.”
Mrs Patricia Tshuma, acting Hwange District Schools Inspector, acknowledged receiving reports on the matter and said her office was looking into the matter.
“We are following up with the headmaster to understand why these fees are being charged. Unfortunately, we couldn’t reach him due to a sports day, but we are actively investigating the issue.”
Last year, Zimsec issued a circular outlining the exam fee structure for Grade Six and Seven. According to the circular, fees for these exams are set in US dollars, although payments can also be made in Zimbabwean dollars, US dollars or South African rand.
For Grade Seven, the fees are as follows: public schools, local authority, and not-for-profit mission schools charge US$10 per subject, while private schools and private candidates charge US$22. For Grade Six, fees are US$5 at public, local authority, and mission schools, compared to US$11 for private institutions.
Furthermore, Finance Circular No. 12 of 2023 mentions the interbank rate for the Grade Six and Seven exam fees. Over the course of two years, a student pays a total of US$30 — US$15 in Grade 6 and another US$15 in Grade 7.
The developments are despite spirited efforts by Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) targeting corruption within the education sector to protect parents and students from exploitation by unscrupulous school heads.
