Deputy Minister of Education, Dalitso Kambauwa Wirima says the ministry is committed to providing short and long term solutions on challenges that most primary and secondary schools are currently facing amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Wirima made the remarks during her tour to Mbayani Primary, Blantyre Secondary and Zingwangwa Secondary schools on Monday in Blantyre.
She said government is aware of the lack of classrooms and the high learners enrolment in most schools citing Mbayani Primary as a special case which has an enrolment of 8,484 learners against 99 teachers.
“We will look into a long term plan in easing congesting at the school but as of now the government will source out tents which can be mounted on the schools grounds as one way of decongesting the classrooms while adhering to the Covid-19 preventive measures,” said Wirima.
The deputy minister further acknowledged the inadequate Braille materials for special needs learners at Blantyre Secondary School (BSS).
“We have identified a development partner who is keen to assist with braille materials and we will therefore push that the materials are delivered the soonest at the school,” said Wirima.
BSS has 46 special needs students, 14 that use braille 4 of whom are shortly sitting for the Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations.
She however, expressed satisfaction at the Covid-19 pandemic preventive measures at Mbayani primary school, Blantyre and Zingwangwa secondary schools saying the three schools are complying well.
Zingwangwa Secondary School Head teacher, Steve Kungala said the coming of the minister to the school has given them an assurance that challenges of classrooms will be addressed as she has seen the need to increase the learning infrastructures.
“Splitting the classes to meet the covid-19 prevention measures has been a challenge,” the head teacher said, adding that the school has however put in a number of solutions to enable students access education.
“We are conducting remedial classes in groups just to put the learners back into school mood and remind them of the things they had forgotten,” said Kungala.
Zingwangwa Secondary School Deputy Head girl, Tadala Kambona, concurred with the headmaster saying the government indeed has best interest for them.
“For me and my fellow students we have been encouraged that the government is doing its best to make sure we are all comfortable and receiving the much deserved education amid the pandemic,” she said, while assuring the deputy minister that students at the school will work hard while adhering to all the preventive measures to respond to fighting Covid-19.
Zingwangwa Secondary School has an enrolment of 1,084 students among whom 560 are boys and 524 girls.
