Government has with immediate effect closed down Serenje Technical High School in Central Province after pupils this morning ran amok damaging school property.
Education Deputy Minister David Mabumba announced the closure in Serenje on Sunday after meeting school management and pupils’ representatives.
The pupils rioted because the school has not explained why they have not sat for practical examinations despite paying for the subjects.
Mr. Mabumba says pupils in examination classes will report in August while non -examination classes will resume on September 9, 2013.
ZNBC’s Jacqueline Siulemba, who rushed to the school reports that Police has at least detained 29 pupils.
Some of the pupils told ZNBC that the subjects affected are Wood Work, Biology, Physics and Chemistry.
Central Province Minister Philip Kosamu who is Serenje Member of Parliament (MP) said the decision
to close the school announced by Mr Mabumba was aimed at protecting school property.
He said he was saddened with the extent of damage to property where the entire administration block was burnt and appealed to pupils to exercise restraint each time they were aggrieved.
“I can confirm that the Ministry of Education has ordered the premature closure considering the extent of damage to property and to avoid recurrence of the riot,” he said.
He also confirmed that examination classes would be re-opened on August 12, 2013 while the others would return to school on September 9, 2013.
And Central Province Commissioner of Police, Standwell Lungu also confirmed the detention of the pupils in an interview with ZNBC News.Police said that they picked up 29 pupils and a teacher to assist with
investigations and were still looking for two ring leaders linked to the riot which left property worth hundreds of kwacha damaged.
“We are investigating reports that the teacher had harboured some of the rioting students because we believe a number of pupils were found in his house,” Mr Lungu said.
According to police, the incident happened on Saturday around midnight when the pupils protested against the school administration over the move to stop them from holding jubilee celebrations.
The celebrations were moved to September after the pupils had already paid money towards the function.
The pupils were also not happy with the deteriorating poor diet saying they were now feeding on rotten beans.
The pupils went on rampage and set ablaze the administration block destroying property with only the headmaster’s office surviving the inferno.
By late afternoon today , some pupils had started vacating the school while others were reported to have no money to transport them back to their respective homes.
The school’s storeroom and tuck shop were looted by the pupils while the computer laboratory room had its window panes shattered.
This is the second time that pupils at the same school engage themselves in riotous behaviour. Recently, the pupils rioted and destroyed school property before storming a market where they smashed windscreens to more than 10 motor vehicles.
The irate pupils also destroyed windowpanes at Pep and Bata stores but failed to loot goods from the shops because of burglar bars. This was in protest against a teachers’ strike.
How many schools will be closed? Who is going to listen to our complaints? Should there be always a strike before you listen????? SHAME.
Desperate people do desperate things!
This year I’ve attended 8 of their (PF) family gatherings (14 if you include Catholic functions) and I think rather, than celebrating and being artificially joyful, our leaders should discuss ways of slowing down the Post and allowing us to hear directly from the President who I personally believe has the interests of the poor at heart.
The youth had high belief in H.E. Michael Sata before the Post and other relatives took over his vision.
Such behaviour is bad.God help us.
Chisalenifye tulenwafye kabili efyo mufwaya
They don’t deserve to be in School. Anyway Ifishimu fiwila Ku Serenje/Mukushi so let them start collecting so we we come home there are plenty of on the market. that’s what they are for these dull heads!!
The gorvenment shud find ways of punishing pipils/students who involve themselves in such destructive behaviour,when are we surely going to learn to dialogue,some of the reasons which cause some of these riots are petty e.g pupils riot becoz they have bin told to attend prep!come on
The mock or practical tests that is between the school and the students can make any decent student hoping to help the country move forward through his contribution in any manner. This behaviour is not just barbaric but that of bush products. They you can take a villager to town but you can not change his or her behaviour of a villager. Some have come from families that have never been luck to enter secondary school and being the its like they are professors. Some have not been able to prepare for practicals and resorted to rioting and destroying properties. Do these bush products think about those coming behind them?
When i was at school, the pupils who used to misbehave were from the copperbelt and Lusaka.Most of those from the rural areas were well behaved.The pupils from the so called towns hijacked almost everything: sports, smocking, bear drinking,rioting, mockery and any other useless activities except class work.
Government should not brook any nonsense from these little idiots. Destroying computers during this computer age ! Government should not waste Tax Payers money buying them new ones – let them remain backward with their retarded foolish minds. Government should have zero tolerance to this wanton destruction of public property. To HELL with these utupuba. I have no kind words for such nonsense. Let their parents pay. Throw them out for 1 year back in the village.
damn setn an admin block ablaze diz suckerz av burnt our certificates!!!!!!!!
Congratulations pupils,u are brave,this is the only way govt can listen to your grieves,wasting money on by elections at the expense of the majority.i hope more school should start riots.
Zambians, while I join other Zambians in condemning the barbaric behaviuor of our children at that school, have we asked ourselves the following questions?
1. Why were the Practical Examinations not conducted after the pupils had paid?
2. Do Zambian farmers produce and sell “rotten” beans or good nutritious beans? If our beans are good where are the school authorities getting the rotten beans they are feeding our children?
3. Are those reasons being given by the police and authorities genuine?
What are the children saying?
YES YES YES. DON’T JUST BLAME OUR CHILDREN. DEAL WITH THE SPIDER NOT THE SPIDER WEB.
IMAGINE HOW MANY THINGS HAVE GONE UNDER THE CARPET BEFORE THIS RIOT ERUPTED
But what really caused the riot. The article mentions diet, jubilee, and exams. The ring leaders need to be expelled and spend 6 months in jail. They should learn that there are procedures for solving any differences.
I think the main reason is feeding on rotten beans and the ring leaders are from the cities and not from the villages. They want to use the riot as a scapgoat for failing the exams.
Now thats the mpompompo barracks i attend to A.K.A SEBOTECH, i almost got worried girls were to be introduced, but alas they are on news again. atishani apo kabwe boys, kapiri boys…..
but still more destroying school prop. isnt any good guys.
Brotherman, you are right. Mpompompo Barracks indeed but destruction of school property in not good.
Mpompompo Barracks what came into your Heads??? I remember reigning as the most successful Bomba 4 Aka 1 after Bomba 1 Peter Musonda. Why not reason with Management than peeing into the glass of water when the next second U will b thirsty? Ba Tabulay nishani mukalamba. Our memories are still High as great that former Jovial Headmaster’s office was not tempered with not forgetting my Central House.
Government deal with the rot and hopefully let the Headmaster get some tips from one Mr. Mwansa on how to govern such schools of MONKS.
Twalosha pakonaula the school which remains the best ever in Zambia. Once a Mpompompo always a Mpompompo aka SE-BO Tech. Bana Future and bana Bilga mulishani including Mr. Chitau, Mr. Musonda, Mr. Phiri l, Mr. Bwalya and one Bamfuchile “Chilembo”. Tiyeni…
I taught English at SEBO back in 2002 and I loved the experience. I remember these teachers, and the principal, Mr Mwansa, very well. The students I taught were all wonderful young men,
During our time at Mpompompo, we fed on Kapenta mixed with Cabbage famously known as Scrap, beans, at some point our Boading Master switched from Chasa (Beef) to Yama soya but we never resorted to property destroying due to the fact that we were senior intelectuals and truth be told, we are living very prospoerous lives. I have 1 George Lee- Bench Chemist, Fesugo, HRO=, myself-Executive Assistant, BOBA=Scientist, Jeloyo=Project MGR the list is endless. I will visit SE-BO next month to give a talk on Power learning Strategies for students. Twalelya zanzi from near Admin block, our Tuckshop had nothing but utusabi twabana Bilga. It hates to learn that small boys can destroy what we preserved for them some 10 years ago.
WHY,WHY,WHY???????????????
LIMBI WALI MWANA BOARDING MASTER IWE. OLO NIMWE BACHITILE DILUTE NABA GELO.
NABOGOLAND TAWAILEKO
Indeed, what caused the riot? Feeding children on rotten beans and poor administration by the school authorities. It is time we started focussing on the administrations of our schools and colleges even as we discipline our children for overreacting? There could be corruption and stealing in these places. Just becuase they are children does not mean they are always wrong. Find out why the children were being fed on “rotten” beans. School is not a prison, though even prisoners do not deserve rotten food. Neither Zambian farmers not traders sell rotten food. We have just forgotten what ZAMBEEF HAS BEEN DOING TO US ALL THESE YEARS!! Remember, boarding is NOT FREE!!!
Eish mpompompo boys, still carrying on with the riotus tradition, was there back in 1984, I remember we had one protest because of too much beans.. lol
Mpompompo, my school, 91-93, those were days of Bosaka the headmaster. Those were days! I miss serenje boma kikikiki
Glad my Malcolm yapusuka nomba.
This story is disappointing but I more investigations should be made over the issue.The there must be more to this and being a former SEBO pupil I know what am talking about.Administration should be put through some serious interrogations.Especially our deputy head:p
Eish ati RAS Jovial, one Khama, Shang,omba, gooms, chitau, tambanazo, hara, bwalya do you rememember phiri sosikizo, at banda f.k. …… elo nomba ati ras wadada, des-p, debo, ras bogo, SEBOTECH nizeee.
there is no place thats catchy like sebo, in january i took my family there so they see the school i attended. balibabikila na wall fence ati balalya na ma fruits, ati aple pa break fast elo head teacher ni gelo ama teachers ama gelo lizanda thats why abaiche bakwanishe ukocha, ras jovial ngalilishapo ka shot gun ati ‘stupid boys’. things changed so much in the 14 years.
I have taught for 18 years in boarding and day schools BUT I ‘ve never seen pupils being fed on rotten beans. At Isoka Boys, in 2010, the pupils were fed on rice which they nicknamed ‘imyungu’ for a week due a mealie meal shortage. The press reported the pupils were being served ‘imyungu.’ unfortunately, pipo always think that teachers are complicit in every riot by pupils.
BA CHEACHER BA GEORGE, ASK YOUR COLLEAGUES WHO WERE AT MALCOLM MOFFAT ABOUT SERENJE BOYS. THAT COLLEGE REJECTED ROTTEN BEANS WHICH FOUND IT’S WAY TO SERENJE BOYS. WE RANSACKED THEIR POULTRY AND GOT AWAY WITH CHICKENS. ATI “BEANS YABO YALIPESWA”.
MAYBE YOU HAVE BEEN TEACHING AT ONE OF THESE PRESTIGIOUS SCHOOLS BA SIR WERE THESE THINGS ARE AN HEAD OF
Ba Mpompompo bafikala nanomba tamulachinja!! i remember back in the days 28 years ago! we liked the beans as long as it had enough top “Lele” and then on week ends we had “imichasa” on wed it was rice and beans..top diet. Then “ba kamuliaboo” were eating amajacket the left over hard nshima especially “bamanyongo”. BUT we still never had a riot in our time!! Kwali abantu in our days..like abena “Tosh” ,abena sabu sabu,these would make the entire central house run for there lives but no riot!. Na kumashilya they new us as good boys except pa ibolelo. So behave your selves boys and keep the legacy of Mpompompo on clean sheets
THE BOYS HAVE BEEN PUSHED TOO FAR I PRESUME. THIS SCHOOL HAS BEEN QUITE IN THE PAST FEW YEARS.
CHECK THE HISTORY OF THIS SCHOOL AND COMPARE TO NOWADAYS THEN YOU WILL APPRECIATE THE BOYS HAVE BEEN COOL IN THE RECENT PAST.
THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST NOTORIOUS SCHOOLS IN ZAMBIA.
I WAS AT THIS SCHOOL MYSELF AND KNOW WHAT AM TALKING ABOUT.
@9 u not only a fool bt an idiot. cage the ringleaders and fine the rest heavly.
Mpompompo mwela onse. We only have sweet memories of our School. We had ‘star’ wars’ back in the days as a way of protesting bad diet. Do you remember Gift Moyo of House 3 nicknamed ‘Star Wars’? We never destroyed our own property although I remember some destruction caused to Malcom Moffat during that fateful soccer match. The message is ‘Don’t destroy your own property’. There are better ways to air your grievances than vandalism. You are the future of our nation, lead exemplary lives.
Protest is ok as long as its a peaceful protest, a peaceful demonstration. No property should be damaged at all. These pupils are contributing to the undevelopment of our country. Instead of improving the infrastructure of the school with less cost now the government has to spend more to renovated the damaged administration block plus other buildings. Which means another school someone around Zambia will be affected negatively in not being attended to for repairs or development.
Shut down a school?
these kids must learn it a hard way. the best way to demonstrate is to stop going to class until the problems are solved. these kids need tutorial from unza students on how to riot. serenje boys ca not match my former hillcrest tech school. this serenje b is a school full of bad mannered boys who come from homes where even parents are complacent. let the pta charge these pupils one thousand kwacha each plus borading. fee. grade twelves should not even come to school when schools open in sept, instead they should only come as day pupils to write exams.
As much as we blame these pupils lets also try to find da root cause of da riot,pupil at sebo tech ar treated lik prisonaz i was there in 2011,da admin at dat sku is using the funds for their own benefits ati ubomba mwibala alya mwibala.shame to both da pupils nd da teachers.
Comment:People should nt run into blamin us the pupils,they should source 4 the true reasons nt the ones that certain media firms are publishin..After payin k200 4 practicals nd k150 4 jubilee celebrations then the authorities shud say there z no enough money meanwhile they used the schools money 2 travel 2 Ndola 2 go nd watch the first football match at Levy Mwanawasa stadium…these amongst others are some of the reasons that shud b put into consideration
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