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

HON. R.N.S. MAWERE: I would like to seek clarification from the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education because it is public knowledge that some people got form one places as far back as June. Have you since suspended those places taking into account this new system that you have introduced?

Microphones having gone out of order and Hon. Toffa moving from one microphone to the other.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You can talk from there because the Minister is closer to you. Order! Can we have order? -[HON. CHIBAYA: Enda unoshandisa chaSpeaker]- Hon. Chibaya, you cannot advise the Hon. Member to use this one because she is not a Presiding Officer. Hon. Member, may you please proceed?

HON. TOFFA: My question to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education is with regards to the 4000 girls who were impregnated. What plans have you put in place to make sure that they go to school after delivery?

Secondly, since Members of Parliament are refusing that these children get sexual reproductive health in schools, what measures are you taking so that children do not get pregnant and that the girl child attains higher education.

THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. DR. DOKORA) : Thank you Madam Speaker and I also thank all the Hon. Members for their interest in following this discussion and seeking clarification or information for us to become more coherent in the way we can switch to this new system to secure Form 1 places that is now in place.

Part of speech not recorded due to technical fault.

My Ministry, Treasury and the Public Service Commission or the Ministry of Labour to see what the number of teachers we have put on the table, how many of those we are able to agree in that three-some arrangement.

I cannot stampede appointment without the concurrence of Treasury as well as the employer. We know the consequences. Teachers might then go unpaid and it could cause social disharmony but we are already engaged and ceased with the matter on that.

The fact of the matter, I did say in the statement that all schools registered all their candidates for Grade 7 on-line and we have been doing this for the last three years. This is merely a consequential development from that policy which said we are unable to countenance schools that say they have failed to get results for their children or wrong subjects appear on their result slips.–[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members.

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