Wed, 18 Oct 2017 09:53:08 +0000
By Jossy Chaima
ELEVEN primary schools in Kitwe have been identified and will be turned into secondary schools.
Kitwe District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) Allan Kaoma says pupils at senior level had not been performing well due to congested classrooms and opening up new secondary schools would decongest the affected schools.
Mr Kaoma said area members of parliament from different wards had been engaged and the community had agreed to contribute K100 per pupil.
He said K250, 000 was expected to be raised from contributions of members of the community from each school and a targeted K300 000 per school including contributions of the MPs.
“We do not want to engage government in this programme, we sat down with different MPs and some have given us funds either personal or CDF and members of the community have agreed to contribute k100 for every pupil, we are trying to raise a minimum of K300 000 per school that’s plus MPs contributions and K250 000 from members of the community, ” he said.
He said the identified Primary schools were Valley View, Luangwa, Natwange, Ganerton, Bulangililo, Lukamba, Mamamonti, Wesley Nyirenda, Kakolo Maposa and Miseshi.
Mr Kaoma disclosed that area MP for Luangwa Primary School had contributed K50, 000 and Kakolo Maposa was fully funded with a sum of K350, 000 from CDF.
He said the primary schools were not going to be disturbed with the construction of secondary schools because all the identified schools had vast land outside their premises were secondary schools were going to be built.
Mr Kaoma said a one by four classroom for Grade 10 was to be built first and the payment from the Grade 10 school fees would be used to build Grade 11 and 12 classrooms.
He added that the idea was to ensure that they do not go back to lobby from the community again.
Mr Kaoma also said the district had acquired two 200 hectares farms in Mpongwe and Lufwanyama as a way to diversify in terms of income generation.
He said K500, 000 had so far been spent on the farm project, K 275,000 for the tractor and K200, 000 for the animals.
Mr Kaoma said the Mpongwe farms were given to the district by Chief Machiya while the Lufwanyama farm had not yet been paid for.
He explained that the purpose of the project was to motivate teachers because the hardworking ones were going to be given holiday packages as well as get sponsorship to further their education.
Mr Kaoma said the proceeds were also going to be used to sponsor deserving vulnerable pupils to university or college as well as to renovate dilapidated primary schools.
“We have bought two farms both 200 hectares one in Mpongwe and the other Lufwanyama, we also bought a new tractor, 71 heads of cattle and 25 pigs we also intend to do fish farming and growth maize and soya beans and poultry farming in broiler, layers and village chickens, ” he said.
