Chikankata residents need more schools

—Chikankata residents have called on the government to upgrade and construct more schools in the district in order to motivate pupils to enrol and start attending classes.

They lamented that district has insufficient schools and staff to accommodate the number of school going children in the District.

Speaking with ZANIS in an interview today, Chikankata District Council Chairperson Davis Katowa, explained that the current standards of schools in the district were not good as such most of them need upgrading.

He said the district only has two secondary schools and very few primary schools whilst the rest of them are community schools.

Apart from that, he said, most schools, such as Katulo Upper and Kaleya Primary School do not have enough staff.

“The community schools would greatly improve the educational standards if the government   upgraded them to accepted educational standards and provide adequate teachers,” he said.

Mr Katowa explained that most schools are located in very faraway places where pupils have to walk for more than 5km to access.

In an interview with a parent at Turnpike in Chikankata, Lloyd Mwanza explained   of   that the lack of schools nearby has greatly affected the performance of children in the district as they have to cover long distances.

He said there is no school around Turnpike area and as such pupils have to walk to Nanduba, Nansenga or Kasaka as these are the only nearest schools available.

He said most children in the district end up stopping school because of the long distances they have to cover and end up engaging in bad vices such as drinking, smoking and promiscuity.

He appealed to the Government through the Ministry of Education to look into this matter with the urgency it deserves and come up with plans to construct more schools in the district.