Harare — GOVERNMENT has deferred the opening of schools for term one of 2009 by two weeks from Tuesday January 13 to Tuesday January 27.

In an interview yesterday, Secretary for Education, Sport and Culture Dr Stephen Mahere said the decision was necessitated by the need to facilitate completion of the marking of the 2008 national examinations.

"The Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture would like to inform all schools, parents and responsible authorities that the opening date for term one, 2009, has been postponed from Tuesday 13 January to Tuesday 27 January, 2009.

"All our valued clients and stakeholders are therefore advised to take note of this decision which has been necessitated by the need to facilitate completion of the marking of 2008 public national examinations involving a significant number of teachers," he said.

Dr Mahere commended dedicated teachers for their commitment to duty in this regard.

He urged school authorities to submit applications for fee and levy adjustments to his office for onward transmission to the National Incomes and Pricing Commission before the new term commences.

The decision to postpone the opening dates would come as a relief to prospective Form One pupils who sat for their Grade 7 examinations last year who had been gripped by anxiety after Zimsec failed to announce a date for the release of results.

Grade 7 results are critical for securing Form One places as they are a yardstick of progress made over seven years of primary school education.

Zimsec director Mr Happy Ndanga on Monday said the results would be released "soon" as the council was still working on the capturing of the results.

He said: "Marking of the exams was completed weeks ago, but the results are currently being captured."

Traditionally, Grade 7 results are released a week before schools close for the third term or the first two weeks of December to give students and parents ample time to secure Form One places.

The postponement would also give the ministry time to consider applications by schools to charge fees in foreign currency.