31 Aug 2020

Chobe MP, Mr Machana Shamukuni, has commended Liswaani I Junior Secondary School for not recording school dropouts due to pregnancy.

Speaking during a visit to the school on August 29, Mr Shamukuni called on stakeholders to continue working together to raise responsible citizens.

He said his visit was prompted by social media posts that showed pupils warming water using a tank as a result of non-functional geysers.

Mr Shamukuni, also Assistant Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology,  said pupils compromised a health protocol of social distancing when they gathered to warm water.

Therefore, he promised to engage the Ministry of Basic Education in an effort to ensure that the recently installed geysers were operational.

On other issues, Mr Shamukuni assured the school authorities that he would engage further on the lack of the school perimeter fence, adding that this exposed children to dangerous wild animals. 

He cited a past incident where lions were found within the school premises.

Deputy school head, Mr Sinvula Serome, said the school had a total of 352 pupils of which 278 were staying in hostels.

He said geysers at the boys hostels were not functional because the contractor abandoned the project.

“Only those at the girls’ hotels were working,” said Mr Serome.

He also stated that the school had a shortage of teachers, which resulted in the division of classes to follow COVID-19 protocols.

Mr Serome said overstaying of some teachers and those who were separated from their spouses were among pressing issues in the school.

In addition, Mr Serome highlighted need for a special education teacher since the school had admitted some pupils with special needs.

On a positive note, Mr Serome said the school was improving in terms of academic performance.

“The school attained 25 per cent pass rate in 2017, 29.6 per cent in 2018 and 30 per cent in 2019,” said Mr Serome.

 He added that out of the 150 candidates who sat for Junior Certificate Examinations (JCE) in 2019, 90 were admitted at senior secondary school.

He further said from 2016 to 2018, the school was excelling in extra-curricular activities.

The schools also decried shortage of chairs.

Head of department, Mr Benny Phiri, said the school was forced to lend chairs from primary schools to cater for the ongoing mock exams. 

Mr Phiri also added that boarding pupils also had a challenge of lockers.

He further said lack of lighting in the school resulted in reduction of hours for evening studies.

Mr Phiri said the school had since requested for installation of a tower light to augment provision of light within school premises.ENDs