President Edgar Lungu has reaffirmed government’s commitment to improving the education sector in all parts of the country.
President Lungu said he is disturbed to learn that some children in Kilwa island in Nchelenge district in Luapula province are learning under trees due to inadequate school infrastructure.
He said it is not fair 56 years after independence to have children learning in structures which are in a poor condition due to lack of modern infrastructure.
President Lungu said to this effect the Ministry of General Education will ensure that schools with modern equipment are built in everywhere including rural areas in order give equal access to improved education among children in the country.
President was speaking when he met chiefs from Nchelenge district in Luapula Province.
“I want to assure you our royal Highnesses that the issue of education will be addressed to help children in rural areas have the same access to improved education just like the other children in urban areas, 56 years after independence, we can’t have children learning under trees or dilapidated structures. I will engage the Minister of General Education and see how this problem can effectively be addressed,” he said.
He stated that the Ministry of General Education should also ensure that all the schools have basic equipment such as laboratories among the many other needs.
And President Lungu has emphasized government’s continued support to improving the living standards of traditional leaders through provision of decent housing and transport.
He said government is still committed to ensuring that all the 288 Chiefs in the country are provided with accommodation through the construction of palaces which have already started being done in phases.
The Head of State appealed to other politicians not forget where they came from and supplement government efforts in improving the lives of traditional leaders in places where they come from.
“We are still committed to making sure that the lives of traditional leaders are improved, the construction of palaces is still on course in other places, and am hopeful that in other areas they will also be done. As politicians let us respect our heritage and support our traditional leaders,let us not forget where we come from and only show up when it’s time for elections soliciting for their support,” he said.
Earlier, Chief Nshimba of Kilwa island in Nchelenge district informed President Lungu that there is critical shortage of classrooms in his chiefdom forcing children to learn under trees.Chief Nshimba explained that the area lacks modern infrastructure as most of the schools were built in the 1950s and are in a poor state.
” Your excellency, we have a problem in our island, children are learning under trees because we don’t have enough classes, all the schools were constructed in 1958 and 1959 with no modern infrastructure thereby compromising the education standards,” he stated.
Chief Kabawili’ s representative Mwila Kabaso appealed to the President to intervene in the construction of a mini hospital in his chiefdom, adding that land was already identified and secured.
President Lungu is in Luapula province for a two-days working visit where he is expected to inspect developmental projects, meet traditional leaders, Patriotic Front officials and the clergy.
No need to be disturbed your excellency.Its the way to go with this COVID -19. Univerisities and schools in the West are opting for outdoor classes now.We’ve had it right all along but we alsways wait for white man to do it before we accept it!
DAY 1 -PF Cadres beat up and maim members of the opposition
DAY 2 – NATIONAL PRAYER DAY
DAY 3 – PF police indecently beat up Kambwili daughter and wife
DAY4 TO DAY 364 – MORE violence and insu!ts
DAY 365 – NATIONAL PRAYER DAY
Maybe we should get the spelling right and call it what it REALLY is; National PLAYER Day !!!!
ichalo baliwamya kushalafye uku painter…
the so called development…
Politicians: “Poli” a Latin word meaning “many” and “tics” meaning “blood s u c k i n g creatures, cannot be trusted. Politics is the art of promising heaven and delivering hell.
President Lungu disturbed by children learning under trees in Nchelenge.
He cannot be disturbed because he knows very something has to give when he stole public funds to build mansions in Swaziland. What does he expect?
Does he expect children to be in classrooms when they have stolen all the money and left the country with a £27bn debt? Where is the infrastructure development ? It just an illusion.
Why is he disturbed when he knows that he is the one stealing the monies needed for buildings the classrooms!?
He has no remorse at all and he is just lying that he disturbed.
They have stolen a lot these PF mafias and they don’t care about the children. What a shame to mankind!
PF must go!
We have been in this type of scenario countless times over the last 25 years… you only appear to be “concerned” because you want votes..
I remember prior to 2011 elections Mr Sata promised us free education from pre-school all the way up to university.. Nearly 10 years later and children are still learning under a tree. Shame on you bah fee colour…
He is not because even a forest in Eastern province ba li jandilia .The country is in a whopping 27 million debt because of him.Come PF and your Lungu grow up and start reasoning .
I believe that there are many Ant-Hill in that part of the Country. These Chiefs can mobilise their subordinates to “Tama” those block, burn them in Chibili and then ask the government to provide them with cement and roofing sheets plus other accessories. For 56 years, you mean no villager could think like that, later on those so called MPs? We need MPs that are inspirational , that can motivate people to work (Selfhelp), that can see more than less, that are futuristic. Those are leaders, not Kawayawayas.
How many times have we as bloggers complained that children are learning under mango trees? For many many years, we have complained here.
Now that we are a few months from elections, Lungu says he has heard pupils are learning under trees.
Or that hospitals are inadequate.
Or that Chilubi needs a road and a hospital.
Or that we need to repay the massive debt.
What exactly have you been doing the past 5 years Mr. LUNGU ?
My president has a heart for his people. Now watch him rectify this situation into a positive situation. One ECL
Learning under a tree is special, full of fresh air. We need to start thinking out of a box. First, wherever these kids are, they have the right to chop that tree down and produce timber frames which can be used to build very nice classrooms. Second, you don’t need government to do that for you, most of these villages have skilled crafts men who can thatch and work with wood. What is wrong with us kansi? Look at those desks, probably sponsored by people who buy your Mukula trees so that they can send you back ma desk. Soon you will get people paddling in their canoes with the hope of reaching statehouse to complain that they have no water. This is painful…malabish yeka yeka.
Ohh how sweet!! Finally the great leader has discovered what everyone has known for the past decades. Looks like he has been in a cacoon! That’s the problem when you have a ZNBC that only sings praises and shields you from the reality on the grounds
Has he finally woken up from his sleepless slumber or campaigning as usual. Build the schools but you got 10 months to do it.
He will be back in 2021 for another photo opportunity acting supprised….
with his PF rats exclaiming….
” what a humble hard working president with a heart of gold ….”
And the president feigns surprise! He will return at another election time again and pretend he has never heard of Under Tree schools in his country. And the show goes on.
@ Polytricks, and the parents to these children will happily vote PF again, because they would have received a chitenge, T- shirt and ka bag of mealie meal.
yes ECL is mentally disturbed because he does not know what is happening on the ground
Kaizer in other article he said he brought unprecedented development- is learning under a tree one of those. I will join you in applause. I now understand why you are in next in line for PF presidency
Has he just awoken to this? It’s not about ’56 years’ anymore. It’s about YOU having had the opportunity all these years to sort this out but opted to share the national resources with your cohort. Where have you been? We ask this question all the time because whenever there is an election of some sort, your appear with more ‘developmental’ promises. Pathetic
As all fingers get pointed at the head of state, dont we have elected officials in this area?? Councilors, MPs, you mean to say only the president can initiate a project to build classrooms for those children?? Even from CDF money a few classroom blocks can be constructed, what have the elected officials been doing??
Zambia retains a system that ensures people are reached from ward level to constituency level. If only all these people can do their elected, jobs such problems will be a thing of the past!
where will the money come from?
bwafya dad…
see now, you say we are building roads…A road that is costed at a million for example, is billed at 3 times that figure…Such monies should have been going toward such projects as schools etc.
Mr Edigar C Lungu, President of Zambia, you are the most useless leader i have ever heard of. If my memory serves me right, recently, you and your followers said you have taken development to the whole country ” without leaving anyone ….. ” What do you mean now????? I just feel you are complete failure who does not deserve a vote in 2021. I even regret voting for you in 2011 in Chawama. You are a complete failure sir. Instead of fixing political opponents day in and day out, you should have been daily talking and solving what is suprising you today. i would rather you were not even born. That is why the LAZ revoked your Law Licence because they convicted you for having had stolen Mrs Kanyanta’s money at Lafarge. A thief is always a thief.
Bribing chiefs with houses with borrowed money from China will not help you win elections Mr Accidental president..What a joke of a president.
Can you imagine how many schools that you can build from the borrowed money spent buying a presidential jet that he doesn’t even deserve. You have to audacity to express surprise of children learning under a tree? You are not respecting the ‘office of president’ Mr Accidental president!.. You must be ashamed of yourself. Be aware that every stolen property will be returned to the rightful owners – the people of Zambia. It doesn’t matter who you have swapped ownership.. Zambians will follow the money…..
Takataka president. Very annoying….