High dropout rates of school girls worries govt in Eastern Province

Govt says it is concerned with the high dropout rate among girl children in Eastern province.

Eastern Province Permanent Secretary, Chileshe Mulenga, says government was worried that the province has high school dropout mainly due to early marriages.

Dr Mulenga, however, said government would tenaciously follow up the initiative set up by First Lady, Christine Kaseba, aimed at supporting the girl child to remain in school.

The Permanent Secretary was speaking in an interview with ZANIS in chipata on April 7th.

Dr Mulenga said he was happy that government, through his office, had built a secondary school and a number of primary schools in each of the districts in the province.

He said coupled with a number of trained teachers who have since been posted to various schools in the province, it was his office hope that levels of school dropouts would reduce drastically.

On the dam construction Dr Mulenga said the project was on schedule as government was   rehabilitating at least a dam in each district of the province.

He, however, said government had budgeted for construction of two dams in Chipata district due to the growing population in the area.

And the Permanent Secretary has directed all district councils in the province to cancel contracts with contractors who are found wanting.

Dr Mulenga said while government had started a massive road rehabilitation and expansion programme, the activity was being derailed by some contractors he did not name who he   said were doing shoddy works.

He said govt was determined to rehabilitate feeder and trunk roads in the province at the cost of K600 million.

He said the amount would be used to tarmac all major roads in the province such as the Chipata- Vubwi and the Chipata- Lundazi roads which he said was near completion at 90 percent.