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

Yesterday I was in a workshop where the youth told me plain and simple that we are having sex, can you get real and save our lives. What should we be doing? We should allow these children to access health services; everything else that you access from the condom to everything. Let them access it because they are dying. Thank you – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Members. Can we have order please? Hon. Zindi, please.

*HON. CHINOTIMBA: Hon. Labode, we were quiet when you were debating. Madam Speaker, I wanted to find out from the Hon. Minister. The pupils that are looking for Form 1 places already acquired their places in June this year. Their places were allocated after they had written their entrance examinations. Some of those have failed Grade 7, but they are the ones that the school wants. May you clarify as to what exactly is the position with regards to entrance examinations vis a vis the final examinations? What is going to be considered for the allocation of places for Form 1 pupils?

There is a lot of corruption that is said to be around the issue of securing Form 1 places being perpetrated by headmasters. How are you going to end this menace? We were discussing with others and the debate was that in these schools some children are going to school with cell phones and they are even talking to their boyfriends and girlfriends on these cell phones – 12 year old children. What programme or policy do you have in mind to deal with such an issue that children are allowed to have cell phones in schools?

In the olden days when we were children, we were not allowed to go with such gadgets. When we used to go to school, we would not keep long hair. We used to behave like school children. Although we failed, we emerged there as properly morally guided people. What should the Ministry do to ensure that we uphold our morals? I thank you.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Members, order please. May we bear in mind that we need clarification from the Minister and not to give him suggestions, but when it comes to debating, we then put forward our propositions.

*HON. PHIRI: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question is around the issue of a test run of the exercise that you want to carry out in three days time – whether a test run was done? – [HON. MEMBER: It was asked.] It was not asked.

Secondly, there has been a policy change from the old to the new. Why has there been this sudden change? Why was an announcement first made to the people before you came to Parliament? I thank you.

HON. D. TSHUMA: My question to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education pertains to BEAM students who have sat for their Grade 7 examinations and qualify for form one entry. What mechanism is in place to avert school drop outs in the process for them to…

Last part of question not recorded due to technical fault.

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