By Archford Chirimudombo
Harare, (New Ziana) –The government has approved a review of the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) Examination Fee Subsidy Framework and Examination Financing Model, paving the way for a phased implementation of a new funding arrangement that will increasingly target financially vulnerable learners.
The revised framework seeks to ensure that government support is directed towards pupils from disadvantaged households while addressing the growing financial burden of subsidising examination fees for all candidates.
The model was presented to Cabinet on Tuesday by Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube, in his capacity as chairperson of the Cabinet Committee on National Development Planning.
Speaking during the post-Cabinet media briefing, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Zhemu Soda said the government had, over the years, maintained its commitment to ensuring equitable access to education and easing the financial pressures faced by households through examination fee subsidies for pupils sitting national examinations administered by ZIMSEC.
The subsidy program was introduced in 2020 under a cost-sharing arrangement in which the government covered 53 percent of the examination fees, while parents contributed the remaining 47 percent.
In 2021, the Government contribution was increased to 55 percent, reducing the parental share to 45 percent.
However, the government has noted that the universal subsidy arrangement does not adequately differentiate between learners from vulnerable households who genuinely require financial assistance, and those whose families have the means to pay examination fees without state support.
“The programme has also become increasingly unsustainable, given prevailing fiscal constraints and competing national priorities for Government, hence the imperative to review the current model and safeguard the integrity, security and continuity of Zimbabwe’s national examinations system that is financially sustainable,” Dr Soda said.
Under the revised framework, implementation will be staggered over two years, with rural schools, satellite schools and learners benefiting from the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) included in the subsidy programme in 2027.
From 2028, however, Government support will be restricted to learners receiving assistance under BEAM, marking a further shift towards a targeted subsidy system based on financial vulnerability.
The changes are expected to alter the way examination fees are financed, particularly for households whose children attend schools that will no longer fall within the categories eligible for Government support.
The revised financing model is intended to improve the sustainability of the subsidy programme while ensuring that learners from economically disadvantaged backgrounds continue accessing national examinations without facing financial barriers.
Further details on the implementation arrangements and the applicable examination fees are expected to provide clarity to schools, parents and learners as the new framework takes effect.
New Ziana
