By Tendai Matunhu

Government has said that the selection of 2020 Form one students is done through the electronic Ministry Application Platform (eMAP) so as to reduce inconveniences of parents travelling across the country looking for form one places.

Whilst addressing the press yesterday, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Ambassador Cain Mathema announced that the selection of form one on eMAP is done by a committee to avoid corrupt practices.

Minister Mathema said, “The public has raised concerns that negotiating for places directly with schools was creating space for some unscrupulous practices. The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education’s policy is that the selection of learners into Form one is done by the Admissions Committee at each school.

“The Admission Committee which consists of the Head of the school, the Deputy Head, the Senior Master or Woman, one Head of Department, one teacher and one representative of a Responsible Authority. In addition one Education Inspector from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education will supervise and monitor the selection process at each boarding school,” said the Minster.

The Minister said 326 685 students had completed Grade 7 in 2019 and the country only has 24 000 boarding places meaning those who fail to secure boarding place would have to go to day schools. Boarding schools are not sufficient and the Minister is therefore inviting the Private sector to partner Government and the Ministry for more schools to be built and to improve the infrastructure in schools for both classrooms and teachers’ accommodation.

The minister pronounced the enrolment procedure at a time when parents of next year’s form one students are complaining about the exorbitant school fees required to enrol a child into form one. There is fear that if Government does not intervene, the number of dropouts will increase as the proposed fees are beyond the capacity of many parents.