Zimbabwe’s government has moved swiftly to defuse mounting public anxiety over the cost of national examinations, flatly rejecting social media claims of a dramatic fee hike and reaffirming its commitment to subsidising education for learners in public schools.
Speaking amid growing online speculation, the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Torerayi Moyo, said claims that the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) had raised examination fees by 100 percent were “fabrications” with no basis in fact. He confirmed that fees for the November 2026 public examinations — covering Grade Seven, Ordinary Level (Form Four) and Advanced Level (Form Six) — remain unchanged.
“I wish to inform the nation that the ZIMSEC examination fees for 2026 have not been increased,” Moyo said. “They remain the same. The 55 percent subsidy offered by the government remains in place.”
The clarification comes at a sensitive moment for Zimbabwe’s education sector, where rising living costs and persistent economic pressures have left parents acutely sensitive to any suggestion of increased school expenses. Examination fees, in particular, are a recurring flashpoint, often serving as a proxy for broader concerns about affordability and access to education.
According to the minister, candidates in government schools will continue to benefit from the state covering more than half of the examination costs — a policy that has been in effect for the past five years. “All the fees have not changed for the past five years,” he said, stressing the need to “correct the misinformation that was peddled on social media.”
ZIMSEC, which administers national examinations, has long relied on government support to keep fees within reach for the majority of learners. The 55 percent subsidy has been a cornerstone of that effort, particularly for rural and low-income families for whom examination costs can be prohibitive.
However, Moyo drew a clear distinction between the November examinations and the June 2026 sitting. Candidates writing the June examinations will not benefit from the subsidy, he said, because they are predominantly private candidates or repeaters.
“In the majority of cases, most of these candidates are private candidates — repeaters — so they will not be beneficiaries of the 55 percent subsidy,” the minister explained.
The episode underscores both the power and the peril of social media in Zimbabwe’s public discourse. While digital platforms have become a key source of information for many citizens, they have also amplified unverified claims, forcing authorities into reactive communication to contain public concern.
For now, the government’s message is one of continuity rather than change: no fee hikes, no withdrawal of support, and a sustained commitment to easing the financial burden on families whose children sit national examinations in public schools.
