The Ministry of Education has expressed dismay at the media reports purporting that some examination centres are overcharging candidates intending to sit for the 2013 Grade 12 General Certificate of Education Examination (GCE).
Education Minister John Phiri said in a statement made available to ZANIS that any centre charging examination fees beyond the approved fee for both external and internal candidates is committing an offence as it is in defiant of the ECZ guidelines on examination.
The Minister clarified that the only fees that are remitted to the ECZ from the centre are the examination fees as provided in the ECZ guidelines on the administration and management of examinations in Zambia.
Dr Phiri stated that centres and tuition fees are levied to GCE candidates as a service by the centres while the other fees charged by the centre are for purpose of administering the examinations which he said must be regulated by the Provincial Education Offices.
He said the alleged exorbitant fees charged by centres should not in any way be tied to the examination fees remitted to ECZ.
“According to the 2013 scale of examination fees, grade 12 internal candidates should pay KR8.50 as entry fee per candidate and KR5.5 subject fee per subject. For GCE candidates the entry fee is KR 25 per candidate and subject fee is KR 33.80 per subject,” Dr Phiri said.
He added that it is not mandatory for the would-be GCE candidates to pay and attend tuition at the centre adding that candidates are free to register for tuition at any centre of their choice.
The Minister has since directed the Director of Standards and Curriculum in his ministry to provide standard tuition and centre fees to be paid by GCE candidates in 2014 and further directed Provincial Education Officers to instruct all centres to abide by the 2013 scale of fees and also to regulate the high administrative fees charged by centres.
The minister said the directives are meant to ensure that education is affordable and accessible to all especially GCE students.
He further recommended to the ECZ to close or reprimand any GCE centres resisting the regulations and instructions saying government will not allow them, to exploit GCE candidates.
ZANIS
This ministry is just blind to real issues. Here on Chilubi island we only have one high school where all our grade 9s should go. But those teachers have left out hundreds of our children out of school saying that the govment only allowed 40 pupils per class. What should we do because our children have done their part by reaching the cut off point but have no places to go? What has happened to PF manifesto on Education for all.
Sick parent.
@ mucay, which chilubi island are you with that flag?
Chilubi Island is in the middle of lake Bangweulu in the Northen province of Zambia.
that flag is not for chilubi island
hehehehehe man mucay bamugwila….Chilubi island with that flag
ndobo & AM THE NEXT BIG THING… Flags can be misleading sometimes.. NOT usual showing the right place of the writer.. To make matters worse.. I live in Finland.. Myself don’t see any flag or vote rights.. what’s wrong with this 2013 LT edition..Or is my lptp offside??..
THE MINISTER SHOULDNT P
BLAME OR SIDE WITH THE COMPLANANT. IN ZAMBIA THERE IS NEED TO BRING BACK SANITY IN THE WAY THAT CANDIDATES MUST STOP RELYING ON LEAKAGES. THIS IS BECAUSE THE CANDIDATES ARE NOT PREPARED WITH TUTIONS AND WHEN EXAMS COMES THEY OPT FOR LEAKAGES. SO THIS FEES MUST COMPEL CANDIDATES TO TAKE EDUCATION SERIOUSLY. IF THEY SPEND MORE ON EDUCATION THEY WILL PUT MORE EFFORT IN THIER STUDIES
Ba Phiri! Your directive is landing on deaf ears. As you speak they are buzy collecting exobitant tution fees with the so called provintial fimo fimo. Unless ba Sata balanda…… Man of action! not imwe mbuya.
what has happened to free education, its ridiculous for parents to be paying ZMK 1.5 for tuition and boarding in a Government school that’s located in a rural area, whats the point of building that school as it will be empty or filled with pupils from well to do families from urban areas, forgive me for using the old currency, i do so because by June the new currency will fade away completely ( someone got a kick back).
I thought PF said education will be free
Just to win votes … If asked now PF will denny that.. remember the infamous 90days to develop Zambia.. Did that come TRUE???
just pay and stop waffling too much
why can’t the govt pay for those exam fees,? politicians are liers all they care about is remaining in power. Zambia will forever be poor if people not educated. PF made a lot of promises on education..and so far nothing has changed.
Guy scot is busy campaigning instead of addressing education issues that face people.
Education is power, they don’t want to people to get educated they will easily see the leaders stupidity 🙂
I’ve been absent for a while, but now I remember why I used to love this website. Thanks, I’ll try and check back more frequently. How frequently you update your site?
nice post.added to my bookmarks cheers
is this paper a Tonga Times or Lusaka Times