More secondary schools to be built in rural areas - Yaluma

By Staff Reporter 

Malole Member of Parliament, Christopher Yaluma has reaffirmed that government is committed to building more secondary schools in rural areas. 

He said this when he paid a courtesy call on Rosa Mission Secondary School Head Teacher, Thomas Yambayamba at his office on Sunday.

Mr Yaluma who is also Mines and Mineral Development Minister said Government is aware that pupils in rural cover long distances to access secondary schools. 

“The Patriotic Front (PF) do not subscribe to the concept of basic schools, that is the reason the Government had embarked on construction of secondary schools while upgrading some basic schools into secondary schools ,” he disclosed. 

He added that Government is also doing everything possible to solve the challenge of low staffing levels in rural schools across the country commended teachers serving in remote areas for their sacrifice.  

“Be assured that your Government will endeavour to make your life a little bit comfortable. We are implementing various projects such as rural electrification, rural roads and health posts all in an effort to make you people comfortable,” he said. 

During a meeting, Rosa Mission Secondary School Head Teacher, Mr Yambayamba noted that newly upgraded school had been facing various challenges such as lack of computers, lack of laboratory facilities and limited class room space among others adding that his school was scouting for K175, 000 out of the total K250, 000 required to build a one by three classroom bloc. 

In reply, Mr Yaluma assured Mr Yambayamba that Government would soon rollout computers in schools and that part of the Constituency Development Fund would be deployed towards the building of the classroom bloc. Meanwhile in a 2016 budget, Government allocated K53 billion towards the education sector. 

The said budget is proposed to be used for infrastructural projects such as schools, universities and trades training institutes; the recruitment of an additional 5,000 teachers and also improve education and skills development in the sector.