Malawi needs 2.2 million desks for primary school learners
The Ministry of Education says the country needs 2.2 million desks for all primary school learners to learn comfortably while seated.
Deputy Minister of Education, Monica Chang’anamuno, disclosed this in Nkhata Bay at a function when farmers from Kawalazi Tea Estate donated 40 desks worth K3 million to Chihame 2 Primary School.
Chang’anamuno said approximately 4 million primary school pupils in the country do not sit on desks when learning and government alone cannot afford to purchase all desks needed in the schools. She added that shortage of desks becomes a big problem especially to girls when they are menstruating.
“We need about 2.2 million desks for all our primary school learners in the country. Therefore those that make desks should make sure they are making strong desks with a reasonable life span as we try to solve this problem,” explained Chang’anamuno.
Representative of the tea growers, Tonda Chinangwa, said it was important to donate the desks to ease the problem that girls face when sitting on the floor as they are learning.
“As an association, we build relationships with communities in places where we are working. We noted it was difficult for a child sit on the floor in this cold weather. It is even more difficult for the girl child to stand up and sit down especially during menstruation. We therefore felt obliged to donate these desks,” Chinangwa explained.
Chihame 2 Primary School has an enrolment of 1,035 pupils with only 110 desks.
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