Ministry opens online applications for Form One

THE Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has opened online applications for 2021 Form One boarding places.

The Electronic Ministry's Application Platform (Emap) for Form One boarding enrolment opened on Monday and will run up to January 31. Parents can now start applying online for their children.

According to the ministry, there are 262 boarding schools with a total capacity to accommodate 320 students. The Emap platform has had its share of headaches and like most platforms which experience huge traffic once a year.

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education director of communication Mr Taungana Ndoro confirmed that Emap had been opened.

"The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has opened the electronic platform for enrolling Form 1 boarding places for 2021. Parents and guardians who wish to send their children to boarding schools are advised to start applying through the platform www.emap.co.zw with effect from Monday 7 December 2020 to January 31, 2021," he said.

"An applicant who has been offered a place at one school will not be eligible to apply or be considered for a place at any other school unless the offer is declined.

"Successful applicants will be notified through a short message service (SMS) by the respective school heads. Parents and guardians are however advised that there are limited boarding places."

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) said they were looking ahead to 2021 for new negotiations with their employer.

In a statement, Zimta president Mr Richard Gundani said it took both diplomatic persuasion and appeal to "political institutional power" to unlock the last round of talks under the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC).

"True, it was a prolonged campaign which at one time was on the brink of closing the 2020 campaign without any betterment of the levels of remuneration and stalled at ZWL $3500.

"Although the outcomes were not the best from our original demand, we achieved results that had just a palliative effect, allowing for normalcy to prevail in schools," he said.

Mr Gundani said the last round of talks in November secured for entry level D1 grade teachers a total package of $19 975 from a target of $42 432, representing 47 percent of the targeted income.

"In USD equivalent terms the targeted amount was October 2018 level of USD $520. At interbank rate the entry level award in equivalent is US$245 at the reigning auction rate of 81,6. Government agreed that the next negotiations will move towards the US$520 envisaged target," he said.

Mr Gundani said current allowances will be built into the future awards, technically meaning they will mataphosise into the salary.

"The 2020 bonus will be inclusive of housing and transport allowances. Work in progress now and way forward. Zimta has continued to do diligent research on 2021 salary demands using available economic data and membership expectations, anchored on 2020 experiences.

"Sector specific allowances are being actively followed given that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education endorsed previously submitted demands and were awaiting treasury concurrence," he said.