MPs say Zimbabwe is not yet ready for electronic registration of Form 1 pupils

HON. GABBUZA: If they decide to use the computers, very few rural schools are electrified or computerised. Madam Speaker, we appreciate the real time application for the students, but what measures is the Minister putting in place to ensure that there is real time deployment of teachers? This is because we see a situation where the children will in real time, find the places and get to schools but traditionally, we go up to February with these children waiting for the teachers especially the First Term, as teachers are coming from colleges and the deployment is normally done at District Offices. It really becomes a muddle and whilst the real time getting of places is commendable, are we going to also see a complementary real time deployment of teachers to schools?

*HON. CHIBAYA: Thank you Madam Speaker. Hon. Minister Dokora, you have mentioned that 24 000 children will be able to go to boarding schools and they will apply on line. I applaud the promotion of the use of ICT. My question is that there are parents who have already secured Form 1 places in boarding schools, especially in Midlands. Your communication arrived when I was in the headmaster’s office, in schools like Anderson and Regina Mundi. So, what I am saying is that for those parents who had already secured Form 1 places and who had already bought uniforms and were in the process of paying fees, how are you going to address this issue in order not to burden the parents who had already secured Form 1 places? I thank you.

HON. MANDIPAKA: Thank you Madam Speaker. Allow me to appreciate the stance by the Ministry and the Ministerial Statement but I have one question. I want to find out from the Hon. Minister that there is a view being shared by those in the rural areas that this policy is rather elitist and it does not cater for those that are disadvantaged because they are not quite enlightened on how to use these computers and smart phones that you are talking about. How are you going to address as a Ministry, the concerns being raised by those in the rural areas in as far as your policy is concerned? I thank you.

HON. KHANYE: Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to compliment the Minister on the Ministerial Statement. I also wanted to ask the Minister if he would allow the Committee to conduct public hearings in all the provinces so that we hear what the stakeholders will say on the use of cell phones? Can the Minister put that into consideration? Last year we had a public hearing and we went to three provinces where parents were refusing to have their children use cell phones. I thank you.

*HON. MARIDADI: I thank the Hon. Minister for the progressive statement that he delivered. So, 329 000 Grade 7 pupils wrote exams and 42.9% passed that means about 57% failed. The Minister went on to say that all children are proceeding to Form 1. Does it mean that all the 329 000 will also go to Form 1, including those that have failed. I recall a period when we used to say a child that had failed Grade 7 would not proceed to Form 1 before passing Grade 7. If a child fails Form Four, he or she does not proceed to ‘A’ level. That is the first question.

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