by James Kanyenda
Government says remains committed to increasing access to secondary education through expansion of existing and construction of new secondary schools.
The remarks were made by Director of Secondary Education in the Ministry of Education Dr Florida Banda on Friday during the handover of double classroom blocks and double holed latrines for students constructed by Let’s Build, a Norwegian Charitable Organisation to Chadza 2, Ndaula and Chiwambo Community Day Secondary Schools (CDSSs) under batch 2 of their construction works.
The symbolic handover ceremony was held at Chadza 2 CDSS in Lilongwe rural.
Dr Banda commended Let’s Build for the structures saying they have changed the face of the schools and will provide adequate learning space for the learners which will enable the schools to increase enrolment.
“Ministry of Education has lined up a number of programmes adding infrastructure to increase access to secondary education, through Secondary Education Expansion for Development (SEED) project government received 66 new secondary schools in January, is expected to receive three more in May this year and currently 23 secondary schools are under construction, government is also going to construct secondary schools of excellence in 34 education districts.
“Under Equity with Quality Learning at Secondary (EQUALs) funded by World Bank we are adding libraries, laboratories and classroom blocks to 103 CDSSs, through cost effective classroom blocks construction we are constructing 95 classroom blocks in 92 schools, under European Union funded Improving Secondary Education in Malawi, we will expand 40 day secondary schools, and once all this is done, secondary education in Malawi will not be the same,” she added.
She also advised learners to take good care of the structures and refrain from acts of vandalism adding the new infrastructure, which is disability friendly, with an office between the two classrooms on each block and stocked with 50 desks in each classroom is there to serve them and the next generation and generations to come.
“With the kind of behavior that is taking place in our secondary schools, they need to be reminded that Ministry of Education does not condone violence. If there are differences contact and dialogue is the best option,” she said, adding government spends a lot of resources in repairing damaged infrastructure instead of using the same in coming up with new structures to enable more youths access secondary education.
Country Representative for Let’s Build, Ruth Kawale Kamwendo said under the first batch of their project they constructed 10 classroom blocks in five CDSSs, and in the second batch they have constructed 15 classroom blocks in eight CDSS, and in batch three they are constructing 30 classroom blocks, 23 in Lilongwe and seven in Dowa.
“Having started constructions in Lilongwe, we are going to Dowa and then will roll out country wide, ours is not a project that will phase out, we are here to stay and help government in providing additional infrastructure in CDSSs to increase access to secondary Education,” she said while calling upon communities and their leaders to mobilise youth to enroll in secondary schools for the project’s purpose to materialise.
Member of Parliament for Lilongwe South West Constituency, Jean Sendeza, who is also Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare thanked Ministry of Education for responding to her request of having Chadza 2 CDSS expanded, by choosing the school to be among beneficiaries of additional structures constructed by Let’s Build.
She said the structures will provide a conducive learning environment for every child as they are disability friendly and moreover the constructed latrines respond to the needs of the girl child as they have changerooms.
Speaking earlier, Senior Chief M’bwatalika advised learners not to vandalise the structures saying the act demotivates other development partners from adding other beautiful infrastructures to schools.
