Over 243 pupils in Chinsali learning in the cold under trees

Over 243 pupils at Namwenya primary school in Chinsali district of Muchinga province have been learning in the cold under trees and a make-shift classroom since January this year.

This is because the roof on a one by two classroom block used for learning block was been blown off last year in December.

This came to light when Muchinga province minister Colonel Gerry Chanda visited the learning institution on his continued familiarization tour of the province to look at infrastructure and
developmental projects.

Namwenya Primary School Head teacher, Boyd Munthali told the provincial minister that the school has been in a dilapidated state since December last year when the roof was blown off.

Mr. Munthali said that the school administration has since constructed a hut within the school area where pupils are now learning from as a temporal measure.

The head teacher complained that this is the third time a similar disaster had befallen the School.

Mr. Munthali said the school only has a one by two classroom block catering for all the 243 pupils enrolled from grade one to grade seven.

Mr. Munthali also complained of inadequate staffing levels saying the work over load at the school was affecting the delivery of quality education.

He said that inadequate classrooms coupled with low staffing levels has forced the school administration to adjust the school time table and teach only five subjects per day instead of six as required by the Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational training and Early education.

Mr. Munthali added that due to inadequate classrooms, the school is rotating classes saying two classes report in the morning, another two at mid-morning while four other classes report in the afternoon.

He further said the learning institution only has two staff houses and has no office space where to operate from adding that currently the school is using one of the rooms in his house as an office.

And Muchinga Province Minister Colonel Gerry Chanda has assured the school administration that Government will move in quickly and ensure that the situation at the learning institution is normalized.

Colonel Chanda said he will ensure that the blown off roof is replaced with soon adding that the Government was in a hurry to improve the education standards in the country and will ensure all schools are in acceptable learning condition.

Colonel Chanda said government has embarked on the rehabilitation and construction of schools throughout the country to improve on the delivery of quality education.

The Minister also promised to discuss with the area Member of Parliament Mulenga Chiponde to consider the possibility of constructing a one by three classroom block at the school using Constituency Development Funds (CDF) for 2013 in order to increase the number of classrooms.

ZANIS