Vusumuzi Dube
Sikhumbuzo Moyo
THE race for 2026 Form One boarding school places has officially begun after the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education opened the online application platform (eMAP).
In a statement, the Ministry said the platform is live and can be accessed at:
http://www.emap.co.zw/Form1Enrol/
The system will remain open until 31 December.
Parents and guardians can apply to a maximum of five schools, but the Ministry stressed that the five choices are not ranked.
“The system treats all five choices equally as it is just a list, not a ranked order,” read the statement.
Once a school accepts a learner:
• An SMS notification is sent.
• All other pending applications are automatically cancelled.
• The child can only hold one boarding place at a time.
The Ministry warned parents to think carefully before rejecting an offer.
“If an offer is declined the place will be immediately offered to another applicant and cannot be reclaimed. Declining an offer is a final decision and may result in one’s child securing no boarding place at all,” it said.
Parents were also urged to only apply to schools they are genuinely willing to send their children to, as boarding places are extremely limited.
The Ministry emphasized that day-school options remain available for everyone.
“Government has enough Form One day-school vacancies for every pupil. Parents are urged to have alternative day-school arrangements in place,” the statement read.
With competition for top boarding schools expected to be fierce, parents are advised to apply early — and choose wisely.
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu