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Irwin Chifera
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Elementary and Secondary Education Minister Lazarus Dokora said all students who have not yet secured a place in first grade will be admitted to public schools despite the shortage of schools in the country.
Dokora told reporters in a ministerial statement before the start of the first term of 2015 that schools are expected to have afternoon classes to ensure that every eligible student is catered for.
He said the ministry has directed district education officers to assist parents who have yet to secure admission places for their children.
Thousands of students are still left without a Form 1 place after the Ministry of Education abolished the entrance examination system where students could choose their own schools.
Under the new system, schools must enroll local students, which has led some principals to ask for proof of residency before enrolment.
For day schools, that makes sense, Dokora said.
He said Zimbabwe currently has more than 8,200 primary and secondary schools and needs to build 2,056 more to cater for all students.
Dokora added that more than 1,000 schools in resettlement areas in particular need to be upgraded to acceptable standards.
A shortage of public schools in Zimbabwe has led to a surge in private, unregistered schools.
The government cancelled the Form 1 entrance exam, saying schools were exploiting parents through it.
Dokora said parents should not have to pay tuition for students in grade 1. However, some schools charge between $50 and $120 to enroll children in grade 0 or grade 1.
He said his officers would investigate and punish those found guilty according to the law.
The first semester of 2015 will start on January 13.
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