Monday, December 23, 2024

Lack of dormitories force Pupils to spend nights in Classrooms

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Pupils at Myooye Secondary School in Mumbwa in a classroom with their personal belongings
Pupils at Myooye Secondary School in Mumbwa in a classroom with their personal belongings

Pupils at Myooye Secondary School in Mumbwa district of Central Province have been spending nights in classrooms due to lack of dormitories at the learning institution.

However, Central Province Permanent Secretary Chanda Kabwe has said government is committed to addressing the challenges facing the pupils that are a result of years of neglect.

Speaking when he conducted an impromptu visit to the school this afternoon, Mr Kabwe said challenges facing the school need urgent attention and assistance from partners.

“We have seen the challenges that the boys and girls are going through, as government we won’t allow it to continue, the good part is that Central Province is part of the World Bank school project and this school will be given priority,” he said

He added ” I think as leaders especially those elected like Members of Parliament even as they sit in parliament should know that they have a responsibility to work for the people who put them in office. This area has had MPs and Ministers it is sad that upto now no amount of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) has ever been allocated towards improving the infrastructure at this school which has existed even before independence.

He urged the pupils to work hard and not be discouraged by the existing poor conditions which has made learning very difficult

“His Excellency, President Lungu knows that education is the best equalizer that is why I want to assure you all that before the end of this year I will be back with my colleagues from the Ministry of General Education to attend to your needs,” Mr Kabwe said.

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary instructed the two District Commissioners from Mumbwa and Shibuyunji who accompanied him to ensure that the 100 bags of cement that the school requested for towards the completion of a staff house is delivered by Friday this week.

Pupils at Myooye Secondary School in Mumbwa
Pupils at Myooye Secondary School in Mumbwa
Central Province PS talking to Pupils at Myooye Secondary School in Mumbwa
Central Province PS talking to Pupils at Myooye Secondary School in Mumbwa
Central Province PS Chanda Kabwe talking to School admin staff in a classroom being used as a dormitory
Central Province PS Chanda Kabwe talking to School admin staff in a classroom being used as a dormitory
Central Province PS Chanda Kabwe talking to School admin staff in a classroom being used as a dormitory

32 COMMENTS

  1. Sad state of affairs, and we have govt officers galavanting in luxury SUVs when our kids at boarding schools are being forced to sleep rough in classrooms, toilets are in bad state, the lack of adequate learing material such as text books and yet the parents of these kids suffer to pay the school fees, the parents go and sell their maize at low price to crooked millers inorder to educate their kids.

    Such a great injustice!

    • This guy Kabwe is busy dishing out millions in the so called presidential funds, bicycles, chagwa books, you name it, to brain wash the masses for votes. These are the real issues those funds should be addressing instead.

    • This just tells you that there is a big problem in the way we handle things in Zambia. Obviously one would know how many pupils are required by just counting the number of beds in each dormitory. Same with Cholera, just wait when we’re near the elections how they will allow street vending with impunity. Aba sungu they don’t even go to church but run things good but ifwe ichisungu pakanwafye kwati we know things better. Zambia is a very beautiful country but the way we run our affairs awe kuwayawayafye.

    • LUNGU is crap. He is not Zambia and he does not give a toss about the Zambian people. SATA was a great man and he meant well. Lungu will rape the country. He is a mission for total distraction. How this can be allowed, I don’t know!

    • The Presido is not Zambia and he does not give a toss about the Zambian people. SATA was a great man and he meant well. Lungu will rape the country. He is a mission for total distraction. How this can be allowed, I don’t know!

    • LUNGU is crap. He is not Zambia and he does not give a toss about the Zambian people. SATA was a great man and he meant well. Lungu will ruin the country. He is a mission for total distraction. How this can be allowed, I don’t know!

    • And you have a lazy President that is glad to declare 5 day holidays…on top of that he disappears for 3 extra days in RSA when children are sleeping on the floor.

    • And how much is needed to build dormitories for this school? Just one less trip abroad by the president can build the dormitories. How can ECL allow kids to leave in such inhuman conditions? Are these politicians normal people? How can one be obsessed so much with personal wealth accumulation while important government institutions like schools are left operating in this manner?

    • This is sickening.

      Pupils or Students have no dormitories, desks, chairs, sanitary amenities, the list goes on, but you are in suites and busy constructing roads and buying Wheelbarrows.

      I doubt other governments would think that way.

  2. Sounds to me like somebody is trying to blame UPND MPs for this mess? Really??. Constituency Development Fund for a Dormitory??? Come on!!!!!

    • MMD Chief, it’s team work that is required here – identify the problem, tell it to relevant authorities to work on it while at the same time you also contribute something.

    • MMD whatever yes the Constituency Development Fund can be allocated to educational ventures in a constituency. But the problem is not at the constituency level, it’s at the top where the President who is alleged not to even be a Zambian is wasting resources in a way never seen before. nothing can work and the guy will not give a toss. LUNGU is a failed project himself and you expect projects like dormitory building to be a success, NO!

  3. Hahaha, i hate to laugh at this but isn’t this the same PF govt that’s planning a new $22m state house? Inverted priorities =Wrungu & Co.

    • It is shocking to note that the school has no dormitories – lelo pano. It is the responsibility of the District Education Board Secretary to visit such schools and report to Provincial Education Officer who in turn recommends to higher authority in Lusaka. This means the education system in Central Province is rotten. What are education authorities do: DEBSs, DESOs, in short “inspectors”. This is disgusting.

    • iwee @Misozi! How sure are you that this has never been reported to relevant authorities. Dont always defend the inept government just because you chew with them iwee c1kala!

  4. And yet campaigns have started with the distribution of bicycles in all constituencies, yet the elections are 3 years away? Imagine you send your child to a boarding school, only to be subjected to these inhuman living conditions? These minions have know about these problems and yet your leader is busy visiting countries where he is not even invited. Ramaposa was surprised to see someone on his door step uninvited. Who does that and more so a leader of a country? Stay home and deal with real issues like this one instead of gallivanting all the time without shame.

    • According to flightradar24.com; Bombardier CL604 Challenger Flight 9J-ONE …took off the 10th March landed in Joburg at 14:32..then on the 14th March took off at unknown time and landed in Lusaka on 16:27. What was this lazy bum Edgar doing in RSA for 4 days …surely why did this utterly irresponsible man become a President!!

  5. When they are enrolling or admitting pupils obviously they know the number of bed spaces at the school. So why did they overenroll?

  6. Just build them dormitories and put EL’s portrait on them period. Politicians are already preparing for 2021 elections and buying campaign materials and yet they fail to address these challenges. How do you expect to have a safe and bright future when children are denied proper and safe learning environment. This type of news should not even make headlines in this era. This is an embarrassment to the nation!

  7. Despite the unfortunate state of affairs our children are going through, I still like the stance taken by the PS Chanda Kabwe of bringing such issues to the fore. Now that the issue is in the public domain, Iam very sure that the Kaisers of this world will contribute handsomely towards the cause as they did with PF fundraising venture.

  8. As one blogger above put it , the commission alone paid on one fire truck to lungu and his gang could have build a doometry.

  9. Meanwhile you have a minister and President who see nothing wrong in spending $1million (x 42) on a Firetruck that costs less than $200K and $280K (x 50) on an Ambulance that cost $70K….utter irresponsibility and recklessness govt full of morally bankrupt thieves.

  10. For God’s sakes where is the operational plan for this school? For the Provincial Education Office? For the Ministry of Education. Guys, let’s be just a bit more serious about things. You cannot start speaking of commitment from government when you have things like this. This is not right at all. I will not even say anymore now.

  11. iwee @Misozi! How sure are you that this has never been reported to relevant authorities. Dont always defend the inept government just because you chew with them iwee c1kala!

  12. Now is the time to tie that chiitenge your hungry waists , sunsha that bokosi hard, & scream from the top of the roofs, Duuununa iye, aaahh yeh, dununa iye, DUNUNA REVERSE!!

  13. Sad and embarrassing. How did the ministry allow a school to operate as a boarding school when it has no capacity to accommodate the girls as boarders?

    It is the same story at Holy Trinity Girls Secondary School – Kabunda, Mansa.

    Can the Ministry of Education PLEASE, DO JUSTICE TO THESE STUDENTS / INSTITUTIONS.

    FAWEZA, where are you?

  14. Shameful indeed. Where does all the tax collected by ZRA go to? Taxes and various other revenue collected are supposed to be spent on basic services – I am sure these conditions are replicated in many other schools and institutions. This is a serious matter. It’s inhuman and degrading to fail to provide the basics for normal life flourish. Yet pupils are even asked to pay for all sorts along the way. Where is the education budget? In the meantime the official above says;

    …”that is why I want to assure you all that before the end of this year I will be back with my colleagues from the Ministry of General Education to attend to your needs,” Mr Kabwe said.

    Goodness, what a response, what happens in the meantime?

  15. If PS Chanda is doing politics, then he is doing very good politics and needs to be commended. He is not shying away from the problem as he is already providing the solution to the unfortunate situation to ensure those children’s interest are taken good care of. I will implore him at his level to move a step further and be interested in the glaring reported abuse of resources at the Ministry of Education by the Auditor Generals Report. As a controlling officer, i am sure when he makes his position clear on securing the scarce resources, central province may just turn out to be the number one abuse or call call it corrupt free province if you like. Otherwise, hats off PS for the good work.

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