Mumbwa Dsitrict Commissioner Sunday Shamabanse has expressed shock when he learnt that Kabulwebulwe School has only two single holed toilets to cater for 1,000 pupils.
Mr. Shamabanse said the institution was a health hazard to pupils especially that the risen water table is forcing the excreta from the two pit latrines to flow into the school grounds.
The DC who also addressed Teachers and Parents at the school commended the Ministry of Health for a quick action before lives are lost.
He explained that the normal standard ration of are one hole toilet must cater for 10-16 girl children while the ratio for boy pupils should be one hole for 20.
Mr. Shamabanse said it was un acceptable for 508 boys and 474 girls to share a toilet for each sex saying the situation was a time bomb.
The meeting resolved to close the school indefinitely until water table goes down and more toilets are built before the school reopens.
And District Education Board Secretary Threasa Sitali has directed teachers at the school to compensate the pupils for the time they lose during the school resses.
Mrs. Sitali said the school must come up with a serious programme on how pupils will be assisted to catch up with the time lost.
She has however pledged to donate some pockets of cement to the school to easy the construction of toilets at the school.
Early this week, the Ministry of Health closed the school because the water table has risen forcing the excreta to floor in the school grounds.
ZANIS
This is only the tip of the iceberg. Sadly, there are countless number of schools in such deplorable state in Zambia. I only hope a workable solution will be sought so mitigate the problems at this particular school and countless others.
I wonder how many toilets Chengelo secodary school in Mkushi has. Most minsters children and grand children are at Chengelo. Any idea? anyone?
Mumbwa Dsitrict Commissioner Sunday Shamabanse looks pregnant and bored. I wonder what’s going through his mind. T-bone steak maybe?hehehe
This makes one’s eye water with tears. How in this modern day and age do we allow such things to happen? How much money will the government spend on unnecessary by-elections at the expense of providing improved sanitary conditions at such schools. The story that these by-elections are budgeted for doesn’t wash when you have more pressing issues than stiffling the opposition parties. These are some of the questions these DC’s should be subjected to if they have any conscience.
The DC is pregnant or ninsokanda? Iam sure he cant even enter the boy toilet it can fall. The ministers data is wrong how can a school construct more than 550 toilets going by his ratio of 16girls per toilet and 20boys/toilet? Those two toilets are enough considering the name of the school which means kalubwelubwe(Jokes)
It’s unfortunately not an isolated case;there are several schools in the same or even worse situation. It’s probable also that the school is over enrolled because there’s a shortage of teaching staff, alternative schools and lack of sufficient oversight, funding and focus from government, and which has always been the case regardless of party affiliation. The sheer magnitude of aloofness and ineptitude from government is seemingly boundless. Tell me, and is the stadium idea still being conceived as a meaningful use of funds when we can all see, hopefully, that the money would better serve the people by improving the unkempt state of schools? Politicians ought to break down the word ‘leadership’ could perhaps they’ll gain some insight into what Zambia needs. But they can’t, or…
This school is in the village where chituwo MP comes from.
Thats the difference between the so called developed world and the so called third world, just basics like toilets and food , not complex things. Things that can be fixed if government officials cared or paid attention.
the Head teacher and PTA are very useless. In my time, we used to build our own pit-latrines without waiting for Govt hand out. Govt cant do every thing for you lazy chaps. building a pit-latrines will cost you nothing, apart from pupils labour and time. do we have to wait for worldvision or George Bush or JICA to come and build one for you. what is wrong with us Africans? Bwana MP in this area, buy iron sheets using CDF and donate to schools (for covering the toilets).
Y the difference in the ratio between girls and boys?
There are two jobs which happen in the toilet; boys stand when doing one and sit/squat when doing the other while girls sit/squat when doing both.