09 Jul 2020

Kutlwano Junior Secondary School management has expressed need for refurbishment and expansion of the school.

Briefing Member of Parliament for Nata/Gweta, Mr Polson Majaga, who visited the school in Gweta on Tuesday, the school head, Mr Innocent Sibanda, said the school was established in 1986 as a nine stream one, but enrollment had ballooned to 471 pupils, making the school a 15 stream.  

Mr Sibanda said shortage of classrooms was a concern, adding that they had turned the school library into a class as well as partitioning the hall into two to accommodate two classes.

He said the school enrolment had increased due to high intake from their two feeder primary schools.

Mr Sibanda stated that the high enrolment also put a strain on the eight water system toilets.

The school head nonetheless said despite the situation, the school staff was united and worked hard to get good results.

He said all teachers were sharing accommodation, further explaining that some of the shared houses were of asbestos, which had  negative health effects.

The school head said academically they improved from 25 per cent pass rate in 2018 to 35.3 per cent last year.

Furthermore, he decried overstaying of teachers, saying some teachers had been at the school for the past 20 years.

For his part, Mr Majaga said the school was scheduled to have been refurbished through the Economic Stimulus Programme in 2018, adding that he would take up the matter with relevant authorities.

He commended staff for improved performance, despite challenges.

MP Majaga highlighted that when junior secondary schools were built, there were plans for future expansion, hence the need for the Ministry of Basic Education to address classroom shortage.

He assured the teachers that he would liaise with the regional education officers for something to be done to ensure compliance to COVID-19 health protocols.

Regarding toilets, he added that action was needed immediately to remedy the situation.

MP Majaga donated 50 masks to pupils, 40 blankets and 15 masks to staff. Ends