Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube Scraps ZIMSEC Exam Fee Subsidies, Retains Support for Vulnerable Learners Only

Parents and guardians are facing higher education costs after Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube announced the scrapping of government subsidies for Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC) examination fees.

Previously, the Government covered 55% of examination fees for candidates enrolled in public, local authority and mission schools.

Under the subsidy, parents paid US$11 per Ordinary Level subject, while the Government contributed US$13.20, bringing the total fee to US$24 per subject.

At Advanced Level, students paid US$22 per subject, with the Government covering the balance to reach US$48.

However, speaking during a post-Cabinet briefing on Tuesday, Ncube said the government had resolved to end the subsidies.

“ZIMSEC examination fee subsidy was introduced in 2020 as a COVID-19 relief measure and is now being streamlined following the end of the pandemic. Government will continue supporting pupils in rural P3 and S3 schools, satellite schools and BEAM beneficiaries in 2027, before transitioning to support only deserving BEAM beneficiaries from 2028 following an audit to improve the targeting of assistance,” he said.

The decision means many parents will have to shoulder the full cost of ZIMSEC examinations, adding to the financial pressures facing households already struggling with the cost of living.

The announcement comes shortly after Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education chairperson Supa Mandiwanzira told a pre-2027 Budget Conference in Bulawayo last week that nearly 40,000 learners dropped out of school in 2025.

He attributed the dropouts mainly to financial hardship and funding shortages in government assistance programmes, among other factors. *NewZW*