Parents withdraw their minors from school in Chikwawa over long distance
Parents in Mwalijah village, Group village headman Njeledza, Traditional Authority Kasisi in Chikwawadistrict have expressed their worry on the increase of number of school drop out in due to long distance of walking to primary school.
The concern has come after the March 2019 floods that affected their village and forced them to relocate to another village which is three kilometres away from their old village, a development that forced many parents to withdraw their young children from attaining primary school education.
“Looking at three kilometres distance I saw that it was not safe for my 5 year old son to be walking such a long distance just to attain primary school education, therefore I stopped himfrom going to school and he is currently staying at home until maybe he is 7 or 8years old”, said Louis White one of the concerned parent.
The Village Civil Protection Committee (VCPC) Chairman Rain Kwala said that the problem has not only affected little children but has also caused most of the girls in the village to drop out from school.
He said most of the parents have already withdrawn their children from school.
Concurring with Kwala, Chief Mwalija haslamented that the development has left alot to be desired in his area and he has since pleaded withthe government and well-wishers to help themby building school blocks near the area they are living so that the future of children in his village should be in good shape.
“Many children are dropping out of school for fear of bad occurrences that may come due to walking long distances and children’s concentrationin class is also affected since they get tired even before reaching at school.
“ If government or any well-wishercan build at least school blocks from standard 1 – 5 it will at least help us as a village and as a chief I am more than ready to give out apiece of land to build the class blocks”, said Chief Mwalija.
Mwalija village is six kilometres from Chikwawa district council.
I thought there was funding to carter for such issues?
What is the use of disaster funds?
You go to UN with presentation about how this govt has the heart Education and yet on the ground we constantly see the opposite.
The money ends up enriching policians.
Cursed us the individual using these funds while kids are suffering.