SANFROSSA MANYINDA writes
@SunZambian
INFORMATION that primary grades would be removed from three recently upgraded government schools in Lusaka’s Kanyama Constituency has unsettled the area Member of Parliament, Elizabeth Phiri.
Ms Phiri expressed unhappiness with people going round spreading ‘rumours’ that lower grades would be phased out from the newly created secondary schools without having full information on what was going on.
Ms. Phiri described the mentality as a drawback not only to education but also to development in the nation.
She explained that what government wanted to see was for every child to attain education hence the reason some schools were upgraded.
Ms Phiri said that no pupil would lose a place as a result of the upgrade as all the schools being upgraded would still run from grade one to grade twelve.
“Kanyama Constituency is vast and is one of the highly populated constituencies in Lusaka. It is for this reason that we thought of upgrading some schools to secondary level so that all children are given a chance to be in class,” said the Member of Parliament.
Ms Phiri said government was stressed by the fact that some children were not in school hence the reason it decided to upgrade some schools to create places to accommodate more pupils.
She said the school infrastructure would be upgraded at a later stage as what was urgent was to ensure that every child is given a chance to be in school.
“Even in marriage, you first start by sleeping on a single bed and then buy a double bed when you are already living together. You do not stay away from marriage because you do not have money to buy a double bed today. Make use of what you already have and other things will follow as time goes by,” Ms Phiri said.
Government last Wednesday announced it had upgraded Twashuka, Chibolya and Mukolo Primary Schools in Kanyama Constituency to secondary school status.
