Mzimba has new educational zone
Mzimba District Education Manager (DEM) Funwel Chiwowa has asked community members to take the lead in stamping out challenges impinging on primary education system in the district .
Chiwowa said this on Monday when he presided over the launch of Machecheta Educational Zone at a colourful ceremony held at Machecheta Primary School in Mzimba South Educational Division.
The launch of Machecheta Educational Zone, situated 15 km South East of Mzimba Boma, brings to 26 number of educational zones in Mzimba South a lone.
The launch of the zone follows persistent request by zealous communities from eight primary schools which used to access education services at Teachers Development Centres (TDCs) in far away educational zones.
Chiwowa said the intention by community members around eight primary schools to press for their own educational zone was true testimony that people in the area attach great importance to education.
The DEM also observed that the demand by community to have their own TDC and a stationed primary education advisor (PEA) was in tandem with principles of decentralization which empowers the people to make their collective decision on matters that directly affect their welfare.
He explained that the adoption of decentralization in the country builds capacity for community members to identify own problems and work out strategies on how to surmount them, with own or external help.
“The pressure that you piled at our office for you to have your own educational zone is testimony that you have really assumed powers, as stipulated by decentralization concept to the effect that community members themselves are managers of their own needs and development destination,” said Chiwowa.
The DEM said the establishment of a TDC at Machecheta Primary School will ease the burden of teachers, mother groups, parents and learners walking long distance to far away TDCs to participate in education activities.
Said Chiwowa,” The establishment of a TDC here will improve access to trainings and other education related and capacity building activities for teachers, school management committees,(SMCs) mother groups, parents and other community stake holders who may use the TDC hall as a strategic venue for their activities.”
The DEM then described members of the community, especially parents and traditional leaders, as key education stakeholders who must be always engaged in running of education affairs at all school institutions.
Coordinating primary education advisor, (CPEA) from DEM’s office, Loyiswayo Jere said the office of the DEM was pleased too, with the move taken by the community members to fight for their own education autonomy, through the institutionalization of the TDC at a new zone.
Jere disclosed that DEM’s office has already identified a PEA who will start work at the new TDC soon after the inauguration of the zone.
Said Jere, “As testimony that the office of the DEM was so ready with the launch of the Zone, it has already identified a PEA for this zone and he will start his work now that the Zone has been launched.”
According to Jere, the DEM’s office has identified Jonathan Chinkhuntha, a former head teacher at Mahalaunda Primary School, in Mahalaunda Zone.
In his remarks, Group Village Head man Muwelu Bulukutu, who was all smiles, thanked the DEM and other people who played a role in consideration of the request to establish an educational zone in his area.
Bulukutu pledged that he and his subjects will take care of the new PEA until he is fully established.
The DEM, however, told the communities around new Machecheta TDC that much as the launch of the zone is a source of cerebration, they have an enormous role of mobilizing more resources for election of permanent infrastructures befitting a TDC.
“The happiness for the institutionalization of a TDC here must be combined with plans on how to transform the place into TDC premise by ensuring that it has all the necessary and minimum facilities befitting a TDC,” said Chiwowa.
The primary schools which will be serviced by the new TDC are Kamwamphimbi, Kalupuha,Wateleka,Chiyika, Machecheta,Kalwela, Kaulankhutu and Kabuku.
These schools were previously being served by either Chikangawa,Kaphuta,Luviri or Chasato Zones, where people had to cover a maximum distance of 30 km to attend meetings at the TDC.
According to Chiwowa, the detachment of the 8 school from the 4 zones will greatly ease supervisory tasks by the PEAs .
The DEM’s office forwarded the request for a TDC at Machecheta School to M’Mbelwa District Council’s education service committee, which easily saw the light of the day during full council meeting, owing to genuine reasons the community members put forward in their argument.
Some of the activities conducted at the TDCs are teachers’ trainings, under Continuous Professional Development, (CPD), teachers and school management
committee (SMCs) trainings on schools improvement programme (SIP), national reading programme, (NRP) and other education and development related undertakings.
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