By Ziyah News Reporter
The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) has set the bar high by releasing the Ordinary Level examination results earlier than in previous years.
This year, students received their results on January 17, setting a new benchmark for timely dissemination of academic achievements and creating a smoother transition for those moving on to Advanced Level studies.
The shift to an earlier release of O-Level results is important for students, who can now enroll in their Lower Sixth classes well ahead of previous timelines.
In stark contrast to past years where O-Level results were released around February, often pushing A-Level enrollment to late February or March.
In a directive sent on January 20, Moses Mhike, the Secretary for Primary and Secondary Education emphasized the need for all school authorities, parents, and students to be advised of the new school year commencement date.
“Reference is made to the above subject matter. The commencement date for the 2025 lower sixth classes is Monday, the 27th of January 2025. Please ensure that all Heads of schools, teachers, parents, and the pupils are advised of this date,” stated Mhike in his communication.
Furthermore, Mhike provided guidelines on the payment of fees for Form 5 students, noting that fees will be calculated based on the number of days left in the term from the commencement date.
“The fees payable by the lower six pupils will be on a pro-rata basis to the approved Term One fees for each school, given by the following formula: Number of days remaining in Term 1 2025 x total approved Term 1 Fees (divided by) the Number of days in Term 1 2025,” he explained.
The implementation of this timely flow of information highlights ZIMSEC’s commitment to improving the educational framework in Zimbabwe, ensuring students who have succeeded in their O-Level examinations can smoothly transition to A-Level studies without unnecessary delays and giving them more study time in the first term of the school calendar.