The Ministry of Education has constructed 73 classrooms in Chilanga District this year, as part of efforts to improve learning infrastructure under the free education policy.
According to the District Development Coordinating Committee (DDCC) third-quarter report from the education sector, the district’s target for 2025 is 175 classrooms, comprising 15 for early childhood education (ECE), 50 for primary and 110 for secondary education.
The report noted that despite the ongoing construction, classroom shortages remain a major challenge, largely due to the increase in learner enrolment following the implementation of the free education policy.
“There is still a challenge of classroom space in most schools as the number of learners has tremendously increased due to the free education policy and a shortage of infrastructure for early childhood education,” the DDCC report revealed.
It recommended the construction of more classrooms in existing schools, as well as the provision of furniture suitable for ECE learners and the recruitment of additional teachers to meet the rising demand.
The DDCC report also confirmed that all 26 primary and 23 secondary schools managed by the government in Chilanga have fully implemented the free education policy.
In addition, the report stated that 26 primary, 23 secondary and 28 community schools are benefiting from the School Feeding Programme, jointly supported by the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU).
Through this initiative, over 66,000 learners across government and community schools in the district are receiving daily meals aimed at improving nutrition and school attendance.
The report further revealed that five primary schools have been upgraded to secondary level to accommodate Form One classes, thereby expanding access to secondary education in the district.
