Learners move into teachers’ houses to beat distance to school

Over nine standard 8 learners at Kanthete Primary School, in Traditional Authority (TA) Timbiri, Nkhata Bay are accommodated at teachers’ houses due to long distance they cover between home and school.

Kanthete Primary School head teacher, Catherine Shaba, said in an interview that some learner’s walk a mountainousdistance of five kilometres from home to school.

She said the school and parents found itdifficult for the learners to prepare well for Primary School Leaving Certificate Exams (PSLCE) with such a distance, hence the initiative.

“While waiting for a permanent structure for boarding, the nine students are, from Monday, residing at teachers houses.The arrangement is that each one of them contribute K3 000 per term,to cater for food, torches and other materials,” Shaba explained.

She said the boarding facility wouldimprove pass rate for learners in PSLCE, which has dwindledat the institution.

“For instance, in 2017/2018 academic year none of the 21 learners who sat for PSLCE made it to secondary school.

“We arranged for afternoon classes, but out of the total 15 learners in std. 8, the nine were finding it hard because of long distances they were covering,”the head teacher said.

Commenting on the issue, School Management Committee Chairperson, Gilbert Kavuta said parents of the learners were excited with the arrangement.

“The parents expressed gratitude and they committed themselves towards the upkeep contributions,” he said.

Kavutaurged well-wishers to help the school construct apermanent boarding facility for the leaners.

“We have enough land for such a facility at the school but, we do not have funds for construction.

“We are appealing to well-wishers to help us for our children to get educated and get selected to secondary school,” he added.

Kanthete Primary School has 300 pupils with 15 standard 8 learners.

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