Concerned Ward Councillors in Mitete District have advised government to fulfil its promise of paying councillors their monthly package.

Mataba Ward Councillor Hilton Mukelabai says since government introduced salaries for the councillors, nothing has happened to those in Mitete District.

He wondered whether councillors in other districts were also not getting their monthly package saying the move is not motivating them in any way.

The Councillor suggested that government ‘’s initiative of introducing the monthly package for all the councillors countrywide was a welcome move adding that the idea should be implemented.

Meanwhile Mitete District Council Secretary Robby Chitambo says the introduction of salaries for the councillors was in line with governments determination to improve service delivery in Zambia.

Mr. Chitambo said district councils were tasked to take up the responsibility of paying councillors in their various district.

The Council Secretary said at the moment Mitete District Council cannot afford to pay the councillors saying the district only collects little revenue which cannot even pay a Counsellor.

Last year Government signed a statutory instrument introducing a monthly allowance for all councillors in the country.

The Ministry of Education in partnership with ischool.zm, a private company, has begun piloting the use of e-learning facilities in five primary schools in Lusaka with
intentions of rolling out the programme to all the primary schools countrywide.

And a primary school teacher at Kasisi Primary School in Lusaka, Pai Mudenda, has testified that the introduction of a tablet computer known as Zedupad, that has multimedia lessons loaded on it at her
school, has drastically reduced absenteeism among pupils in the lower grades.

iSchool.zm, a comprehensive online multi-media e-Learning package that is loaded on a simple tablet computer, has been designed to cover the whole of the Zambian school curriculum for teacher plans but also contains interactive learning for students.

The Parliamentary Committee on Education today conducted a tour of some schools that use the facilities to establish how the new programme was being implemented in schools which are being used as pilot project.

The committee visited Kasisi Primary School and Tico Community Centre in Lusaka where they took time to attend classes where pupils were using the tablet.

Committee Chairperson, Christopher Kalila, said implementation of e-learning in schools was important as it acquaints pupils to technology at a tender age which he said was good for the country.

Dr Kalila also observed that the Zedupad was an important device in orienting pupils to the use of Information Technology, noting that the development will enable Zambia to be on the same footing note with the rest of the world.

He stated that the Parliamentary Committee on Education is interested to see how the schools were implementing the programme taking to consideration the use of local language as the medium of instruction in teaching pupils in schools.

And iSchool.zm Business Development Manager, Miyanda Mulambo, has disclosed that the development of Zedupad has taken about five years and over US $6 million has been spent on the development process.

Mr Miyanda explained that experts and teachers have worked hard to produce localised content, with early grades being available in eight local languages.

He stated that iSchool.zm is working in urban and rural schools by supplying equipment and tools along with teacher training, internet access and technical support on mobile devices and on the web.

He said the Ministry of Education has welcomed and approved the
tablets and was working towards rolling out the tablets in all schools
in the country.
The manager added that private schools have also taken it upon themselves to equip themselves with the same pads to ensure that pupils use modern ways of learning.

Meanwhile, a Kasisi teacher has disclosed that attendance in lower grades at her school has improved following the introduction of the tablets in school.

Pai Mudenda, who was found struggling to teach pupils in Chinyanga language, admitted that the device, which has local language content, has been of help to her and the pupils.

Ms Mudenda, who is Tonga by tribe, explained that using local language as a medium of instruction in schools has not been easy for her but very helpful for pupils as they are able to understand quickly.

Government has underscored the role that reading plays in the success of any academician.

Luapula Province Minister Brigadier General Benson Kapaya says since currently the province’s academic performance is low, there is need to encourage all academicians in the area to step up reading for improved results in schools.

The provincial Minster says to achieve this, there is need to support interventions aimed at improving reading skills such as setting up reading shelters in schools.

ZANIS reports that the provincial Minister said this in speech read for him by Luapula Province Assistant Secretary Joshua Kamanya at the launch of the, Lets Read Zambia Campaign at Don Bosco in Mansa yesterday.

He said Zambia has launched a two career path way curriculum of academic and vocational adding that for one to excel in any of the two careers they should have reading skills.

He said Luapula Province has a reading target of over 187, 000 readers from grade one to four by 2016 and called on stakeholder to come on board if the target is to be achieved.

The minister however noted that reading is good practice that should not be left to academician alone but to every individual and adults through adult literacy.

He commended cooperating partners like Step up Zambia and read to Succeed for coming on board to support the reading in the country.

And earlier Luapula Acting Provincial Education Officer Smith Bweupe bemoaned the bad reading culture in the province.

Mr Bweupe has since called on people to utilize the available libraries and improve their reading habits.

He said it sad that despite free libraries like National Library Service in Mansa being available very few people go to read.

He appealed to parents to encourage their children get into the habit of reading saying the benefits of reading are there for all to see.

PATROTIC Front (PF) Chingola Party member has suggested that President Michael Chilufya Sata be remembered as a hero and named after any of universities or hospitals built in the country.

Mary Nkhoma Chibesa a high ranked member at party level who with hold her party title said remembering the name of his Excellency the current president of the republic of Zambia was an important thing to this generation and generations to come.

“My suggestion is that president and our father Michael Chilufya Sata must be named after any of universities or hospitals being built country wide for him to leave a mark, symbol that he once ruled Zambia because he has done a lot for this nation in a short spell of time, we want it now” said Mrs Chibesa.

Mrs Chibesa said she has appreciated our president who has not forgotten the heroes of mother Zambia which he honored to let every Zambian know and the generation to come that these heroes fought for the struggle of independence from colonial rule way back in 1964.

She said our children born recent years will master this in their hearts till they grow old, and they will be taught in schools as lessons to know the great hero of our country Zambia.

Mrs Chibesa said our president has given new names to all International airports in the country to freedom fighters such as former Lusaka International airport as Kenneth Kaunda International airport, Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe former Ndola International airport and former David Livingstone International airport now called Harry Mwanaga Nkumbula.

She said these named heroes fought for the independence and we will live not to forget them at all.

She however urged the government to put up statues either faces or body elected at the named airports.

“As the nation we would be happier if this idea was brought to Chingola the birth place of Patriotic Front (PF) in 2001 as record says so.” Said Mrs Chibesa.