Member of Parliament for Zomba Chingale, Lonnie Phiri, has launched a K29 million school block construction project at Masala Primary School where hundreds of learners currently learn under trees.
The legislator said she decided to embark on the project to provide conducive learning environment to learners, observing that learners are always disturbed by rains and cannot withstand sunny conditions while learning in the open.
Phiri added that quality education can be achieved if learners learn under good classroom blocks with desks and adequate text books and other learning and teaching materials.
“I want Zomba Chingale to produce future cabinet ministers and other top officials in government ministries, departments and agencies,” Phiri added.
She therefore called on chiefs and their subjects to guard building materials against theft and that they should report all that will be found stealing and buying building materials to police.
Quality Assurance Officer (QAO”)for Chingale Education Zone (formerly Primary Education Advisor -PEA) Andrew Talupunya hailed the legislature for initiating the project.
He expressed hope that learners at Masala will continue excelling in Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education and construction of a new classroom block will inspire them further .
Talupunya, however, asked Ministry of Education to post more teachers at Masala School saying the school has few teachers and further appealed to government and organisations of goodwill to construct staff houses including that of a headteacher.
“The head teacher and other teachers have no houses,” the QAO added.
A representative of learners, Maureen Julius, who is currently in Standard 8 also commended Phiri for embarking on the school block project observing that most of the times learners fail to excel in their studies due to poor learning environment.
She said a school with no adequate classroom blocks, no text books, no desks has no chances to motivate learners to excel in class.
Masala School which became a full primary school in 2021 was established in 1998 and has an enrolment of over a thousand learners
