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Minister Lazarus Dokora

Auxilia Katongomara, Chronicle Reporter
THE Government is forging ahead with online application for Form One places for next year with over 5 500 pupils having applied through the system when it started last Friday.

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr Lazarus Dokora said those who applied through the Electronic Ministry’s Application Platform (eMap) will start receiving responses today. He said there are only 24 000 boarding places countrywide.

Critics last week slammed the directive that pupils should apply for Form One places online as unworkable and meant to disadvantage pupils in rural areas who generally lack internet access.

But Dr Dokora yesterday said since the eMap facility went up on Friday there has been an overwhelming response from parents.

“The website has been running since last Friday. To date about 5 500 have applied for boarding school places. It’s going on smoothly,” said Dr Dokora.

He said successful applicants would get sms responses today.

Dr Dokora said the eMap facility is for those applying for boarding school places only.  All pupils with a clearance letter from their last school will use the application system.

Government came up with an electronic application system for Form One boarding places for 2017 as part of a raft of measures to fight corruption that for a long time has seen many intelligent children from poor backgrounds being sidelined by some schools.

Dr Dokora said day learners must proceed to register their children today.

He said the enrolment process for Form One for next year would see 305 549 students registering at day secondary schools countrywide.

Zimta chief executive officer Mr Sifiso Ndlovu last week said the system was exclusive and will only benefit those with access to internet.

Mr Ndlovu said those in rural areas would be the worst affected by the new guidelines.

“Online enrolment will only cause more confusion and corruption as parents will flock to schools to have their children enrolled at the last minute.

We don’t see it as a progressive move but instead it will deny many children the opportunity to be enrolled into boarding schools,” he said. —

@AuxiliaK