Cash-strapped Zimsec yet to pay examiners

April 24, 2013

The Herald

By Herald Reporter

24 April 2013

Government is struggling to pay examiners who marked last year’s public examinations with the markers still to get 60 percent of their allowances. Financial constraints within the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council have resulted in its failure to pay Grade Seven, Ordinary and Advanced Level markers. These are ordinarily supposed to be paid seven days after the end of marking.

The examiners were only given between 40 and 45 percent of their allowances in January and are yet to be given the remainder four months after marking ended.

Zimsec director Mr Esau Nhandara yesterday said Government had not released the US$1,5 million Grade Seven grant to the examination body, resulting in its failure to pay thousands of examiners who participated in the marking.

Zimsec does not charge pupils fees for Grade Seven examinations. Government meets the costs.

However, Treasury has not released funds, creating cash-flow problems and forcing Zimsec to divert “reserved money” for the examinations to take place. Mr Nhandara said they received US$550 000 from Treasury last week but would pay the examiners after getting the full grant.

“All in all we need a figure of about US$2,1 million to pay all the markers from Grade Seven to A Level, but we are expecting a total of US$1,5 million from Treasury,” he said. The markers were supposed to be paid between 90 cents and US$1,20 per script marked.

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart yesterday said he would inquire from the Finance Ministry when the money would be paid.

“Who wants to work for nothing? We have been used and abused and now the June examinations are about to be written without us getting last year’s allowances,” a marker said.

“I do not think many people will dedicate themselves to that exercise because at the end of the day you get nothing.”

The marking of the examinations was delayed, as the examination body was waiting for Treasury to release the money to pay the markers. The marking only commenced after Cabinet ordered Zimsec to use its own resources. Over the years markers and the examination body have clashed over delays in paying them the allowances.