Pupils at Mulolwa Community School in Chienge district are facing a tough situation – they’ve been sitting on the floor to learn due to a severe shortage of desks. These pupils are not the only ones in the district, as Chienge is a rural settlement with a fast growing population.
Chienge Member of Parliament Ms. Given Katuta, the Constituency Development Fund Executive Committee and few senior officers from the local council recently visited the school to assess the CDF-sponsored projects, including the newly completed 1×3 classroom block .
During the visit, CDF Chairperson Mr. Brian Mofu said, It was concerning to see pupils lacking basic learning infrastructure, especially when the school had received the funding from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) for developmental projects including the construction of a 1 by 3 classroom block.
The Constituency Development Fund (CDF) aims to support local development initiatives, including education.
Member of parliament Ms. Given Katuta Mwela noted that the cry in the eyes of these pupils calls for Local organizations or individuals to come on board and donate desks to the school.
Nevertheless, President Hakainde Hichilema has indeed made a resolute commitment to enhancing the quality of education in Zambia. By December 2023, he declared that no child should sit on the floor in Zambian schools, a goal that’s part of his administration’s efforts to provide a comfortable learning environment for the nation’s youthful population.
To achieve this, the government has been working on increasing learning spaces and providing necessary infrastructure. For instance, the construction of 149 secondary schools across the country has been completed, and all these schools are now operational .
Additionally, 132 early childhood and 61 secondary schools are at various levels of completion in the country.
The government has also procured desks through the Constituency Development Fund in Chienge District and across the nation .
As of July 2023, a total of 373,848 desks had been procured national wide, with 353,120 of those coming from the CDF. This has enabled about 747,696 pupils to learn while seated on desks.
President Hichilema’s commitment to education goes beyond infrastructure. He’s also passionate about foundational learning, which he believes is crucial for the development of Zambia’s youth. In fact, he’s been appointed as the Champion of Foundational Learning in Africa, a role that will see him advocate for increased investment in education across the continent