Authorities at Saint Mark’s boarding high school in Choma, Southern Province have been given a two-week ultimatum to resolve the problem of poor sanitation which is threatening the lives of pupils at the learning institution.
The ultimatum has been issued by the district Joint Monitoring Team on Sanitation chaired by chief Macha.[quote]
ZANIS reports that according to a report submitted in Choma to a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)sponsored workshop on legal enforcement under the Community Led Total Sanitation programme, the action follows an inspection by a team of health experts conducted at the school Friday.
The report states that pupils at the institution answer the call of nature in the surrounding bush as the ablution block is in a pathetic state due to erratic supply of water.
The extent of open defaecation which is evident around the school premises has the potential to spread disease to both the institution and surrounding communities, the workshop heard.
The report has also revealed that raw effluent discharged from the school sewer system is flowing into the adjacent Munyeke stream thereby posing a serious danger to unsuspecting villagers consuming water from the stream.
The workshop heard that the school surroundings are in a pathetic state due to the accumulation of heaps of garbage and general neglect by the school administration.
“At the time of inspection, the school management was very uncooperative and could not take any advice to improve the school sanitation, “the report states. “The school has been given two weeks to resolve its sanitation challenges failure to which closure will be recommended in line with the provision of the law to protect human life.”
The report also raised concern at the poor state of the school dining hall which has no chairs but only old and dirty tables, forcing pupils to take their meals while standing.
And chief Macha who described the situation at Saint Marks boarding high school as unfortunate said he would next week personally visit the institution in his capacity as chairperson of the district Joint Monitoring Team on Sanitation to discuss the matter with the school administration.
He said the school may be recommended for closure if the administration fails to abide by recommendation of the health inspectors.
“I am extremely embarrassed by what is happening at the school which has a good record of academic excellence. Something has gone wrong at management level. I will go there next week to discuss with the headmaster so that we find a lasting solution,” he said.
ZANIS
Yangu tata…..
That is sad as they have to do something over that situation. That is where they are suppose to take money which was meant for the mobil clinics.
I hope there is a hearse on stand by.
I will not be surprised to see someone blame it on the President – and which one I, I cannot say. This is what Zambians have been reduced to, no sense of responsibility. Last time it was Choma Hospital & now it is a secondary school. What does that tell us something about hygiene culture of Choma as a whole? I think thats a dissertation topic. Really, do people put maintenance as a budgetary activity in this district? Why should sanitation problems persist for years and only to blame it on a president? We need to change our attitude of always claiming it is the president’s fault. In fact, this culture will always be there regardless of who the president is because as a nation we love free things from ifitenge, chibuku, donor aid, business deals where people supply hot air, you name it
No 4 – You are already paranoid that someone will blame the President. Well, if they can justify the blame, there is nothing wrong.
This problem is not new. I went to that school from 1983 to 1988 and the ablutions were already in very bad state. I can easily count the times I defaecated in the ablutions during the five years I spent at that school. I remember that they had dug pit latrines during out time but we did use them. Who would go into a pit latrine at night which has no light? The Anglican Church has neglected that school for a long time. The infrastrucure at that school is too old, irreparable, it need new buildings. Even if I visited the school today nothing will be new as far as poor sanitation is concerned.Actually even the education standard has not been good, it can not be compared to St Raphael’s in Livingstone and Canisius secondary school in Monze. During PTA parents go round sch and never complain
Santa Marko !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey headmaster wake up !!! By the way who is the Headmaster?
Kashimi in went to the same school as well, in the 90’s bigman it was a school be at !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sorry kashimani
#3 Ba Moze mulapwisha nenseko. Is this school private or government? This is always the case with most boarding schools. They should inspect a whole bunch of them
#9 Imebo ok may be teaching wise we can say it has been 75% good but sanitation has been very bad. I am sure even during your days you used to go to the place popularly known as ‘ku down’ that is where they are saying pupils are defacecating around the schhol premises. The headmaster I believe is Siafwiti and he can not anything about it because we used to go ‘ku down’ with him. He was one year ahead of me. The problems are endemic and Anglican Church has negelected the institutions they are running.They are not as proactive as Catholics or Salvation Army. Not sure if it is British mentality of I do not care attitude cos Anglican is Church of England. The church is not investing anything at that place.
This is not a government school people, it is a mission school. The primary responsibility to ensure that proper sanitation exists at the school is the church that runs it. I wonder why churches sometimes take up such projects such as running schools when they are running sufficient resources to do a proper job. Trying to gain mileage as workers of charity?
imebo,
Akapondo has equally been to that school.it has always been a sham of a school.just like kashimani put it.defeacating as always been in the bush.we used to call it ku “down”. The structures are too old and delapidated.even the teaching standards are not near 75%.get the statistics and see how many go to university each year.but if you want to learn how to drink gankata and attending ceremonies like mwesho,muchato or malindo where you see tuma original village chickens wriggling their waists and exposing their appertising pointed breasts.it is the school to go to.
I was there for 2 years 83 to 84. Did not like the sanitation side of the school as well. It is primarily a mission school run by the Anglicans and was just a sidekick for them. This in comparison to places like St. Canisius, was a sorry sight.
i hate sante mako
#5 Harold Muna, what is your comment now after contributions by #6, #12 and 13? Am I still in paranoia? That is the lack objectivity I always refer to when people unjustifiably attack a president for situations like this. And I am not surprised that remnants of that attitude are still in you despite leaving in a developed country. The plethora of unconstructive critism on this blog blind people to an extent that in no long time they will be moving around naked with their buttocks out due to lazines in patching up their trousers then accuse an incumbent president of not caring about their welfare. Now that there is this evidence, you mean from 83 people can still blame any president (past, current or future)? Exe cuse me!!!
Kashimani, when i went to santa in 1993 things were not good but late the water problem was solved more pit latrines were also built. We recieved a cooking oil machine just mention a few developments.That time Matulula was head master,that time we had praises from the minister himself who had visited saint marks .
Santa Marko “Ora pro nobis”, as per motto they need our prayers, and the Anglicans’ help! Matulula was acting deputy headmaster – a man of humble means but well meaning – when I left in 84. I cannot be suprised that he tried his best to uplift that Godforsaken place…
And you ex Santa Marko pupils. dont tell us what yu used to do at ka weir and the downs.. Tell us what you are doing for your former school. Canisius is what it is because of the support from some of us, the ex pupils. Ruck,Alstone,Kabombo and Maurice hostels need your assistance.
The citizen,
Sorry bakaamba,yali tougher manje we cant afford to give santa marko anything.but it comes down to the anglican council unlike the catholic run schools they have no will to put money in their learning institutions.and again if the headmaster who is their is innovative that school has the pottential to generate it’s own money.one man muvwanga who was headmaster during my time did demostrate that.
All the Ex St Marko pipo must start holding fund rasing events to help their former school.
Ba Honey, I agree with you entirely. We Canisians are celebrating the Golden jubilee (27 June) at Chikuni and are busy raising funds for our former school. Ex St Marks do the same please. You can even grab that dormant MP Haachipuka & take him “ku down”.
what is the sanitation like at the present moment 2013? please advise!
Am actually the house captain 2014 for alstone from the look of things,ever since i entered saint marks in 2012 things were bad and nothn was moving towards development or change but now we have seen some change from our current administration and am hoping the spirit they have for uplifting the school should continue .