About 135 teachers in Kasama District are reported to have died from HIV/AIDS related ailments from 1998 to date.
Kasama District Education Board Secretary Savior Mutila disclosed this today when
the Parliamentary Committee on Education, Science and Technology paid a courtesy
call on him.
Mr. Mutila told the Parliamentary Committee led by Mazabuka Member of Parliament
Gary Nkombo that the district had not been spared from the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
He, however, said the situation was slowly changing for the better as most teachers
and their families were now willing to be put on Anti Retroviral Therapy.
Mr. Mutila disclosed that as a result of this positive change of attitude towards
ARVs, the district has only lost two teachers this year due to the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the District Education board Secretary has bemoaned the dwindling grants
channeled to the district saying this was affecting the implementation of the free
Education policy in the district.
Mr. Mutila told the committee that the declining levels of funding had been
compounded by the late release of the funds.
He also disclosed that his office was unable to monitor the use of grants in far
flung schools because of lack of reliable transport.
Other members of the parliamentary committee are Mporokoso Member of Parliament
Maynard Misapa, Chimbamilonga lawmaker Brian Sikazwe, Chilubi Member of Parliament
Obby Chisala and Emmanuel Munaile of Malole.
This is so alarming that educators are dying in large numbers. Govt is spending so much money to train the teachers. I was trained as a teacher at Charles Lwanga T. College and the cry about HIV/AIDS was big one. But i feel so bad that to see the welfare of teachers go dwon like this. Govt should reward the teachers more to help them lead more meaningful lives. Prof Lungwangwa knows more about education we hope he will inspire the education reforms to educate our fuure.