Government is considering taxing or levying students who sit for United Kingdom’s Oxford University Cambridge exams at Ordinary and Advanced levels, Education minister Lazarus Dokora said today.
Speaking at an Acacia Junior School foundation laying ceremony in the Madokero residential area in Harare, Dokora said the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec)’s examinations meet international standards hence there was no need for foreign exams.
“There are those who insist on taking Cambridge and we are in discussion with my colleagues – the Minister of Industry (Mike Bimha) and I am sure Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa’s ears are listening – to say if you are importing exams you are importing a luxury,” said Dokora without elaborating whether the move is only targetted at Cambridge exams or will affect all foreign exams such as UNISA.
This comes as some elements in government have over the years pushed for a ban on Cambridge exams. The government has been grappling with dwindling revenues and has taken every opportunity to raise funds through introduction of more taxes.
Asked by the Zimbabwe Independent to clarify government’s proposed course of action and timelines for the proposal to come into effect, the minister said: “You want to take things out of my bag now, you should follow the trend of my thought and leave it at that. It’s a teaser isn’t it?”
said Zimbabweans must take pride in Zimsec.
“Zimsec students have gone and excelled wherever they have gone across the globe including places such as Ukraine where they have excelled with top honour,” he said.–Taurai Mangudhla.
Source: www.theindependent.co.zw
