PRIMARY and Secondary Education minister Lazarus Dokora has promised that all the 329 549 Grade Seven pupils will secure Form One places for 2017.
BY VENERANDA LANGA
Dokora issued a ministerial statement in the National Assembly on Thursday, where he told MPs that boarding schools had a limited capacity of 24 000 places.
He said the enrolment process for Form One in 2017 would see 305 549 students enrolling at day secondary schools with effect from Monday.
“The capacity of our boarding schools is 24 000, and our previous enrolment into this sector created huge challenges for the school heads, who we must protect as a system in the light of multiple pressures for limited space,” he said.
“Sadly, 4 500 of our girls and boys will not be seeking Form One places in 2017, having regrettably left school owing to pregnancies and marriages.”
Dokora said last year’s experiences in enrolment resulted in the ministry deciding to use information communication technology.
“Applicants do not have to leave the comfort of their homes. They simply feed into a system at their local school, their local information centre or on their cellphones, if they so choose. The schools in turn will set up admission committees, so that the responsibility does not convert into a huge temptation to the school head,” he said.
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Dokora said the online system will be available by yesterday and that responses to the applicants would be available on Monday, saying messages would be sent to mobile phones.
In order to ensure it is a safe process, Dokora said district school inspectors will monitor the selection process and will work with committees to ensure schools that still have vacancies after the enrolment date advice from the provincial education director, whose details will be published.
The minister said online applications would add to transparency and ease of enrolment.
“Candidates for boarding places are required to obtain a clearance letter from their respective Grade 7 school,” he said.
Dokora said the current limited places for boarding schools demonstrated the need to introduce a National Building Levy to be soon brought before Parliament to build more schools.
Dokora further told Parliament that the online application was produced by the ministry, working together with Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council/MOPSE.
He said it would save thousands of dollars in fuel and travel expenses, as people seek for Form One places.
Buhera West MP, Oliver Mandipaka (Zanu PF) said the policy was viewed by rural people as rather elitist, as it did not cater for disadvantaged groups, who did not know how to use smart phones and computers.
Matobo North MP, Joseph Khanye (Zanu PF) suggested that public hearings on the issue should first be conducted. Dokora said it was not a must that all schools should go e-registration.
“Even the humblest school in the village has a laptop, of course, they may not necessarily tell you,” he said.
