The Herald
Herald Reporter
22 October 2009
EXAMINATION fees charged by the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council are much cheaper than what other boards such as Cambridge are demanding, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart said the fee structure was the best and competitive that one could get as other boards were charging higher fees than Zimsec.
The minister was responding to questions from a legislator during a question-and-answer session in the House of Assembly yesterday.
Nyanga South Member of House of Assembly Mr Willard Chimbetete (MDC-T) had asked the minister whether he had consulted the principals to the Global Political Agreement before he came up with the fee structure. Minister Coltart explained the process that resulted in the set fee structure.
He said Zimsec prepared costs build ups and presented the figures to a Cabinet committee before Cabinet approval. The minister said the three principals were consulted by virtue of them being members of Cabinet.
He, however, said while he sympathised with parents for failing to raise the US$10 fee per subject for Ordinary Level and US$20 for Advanced Level, the fees were cheaper considering what goes into the process.