Operational Challenges Pose Threat To Delivery Of Quality Education In Kalomo

KALOMO district commissioner, Joshua Sikaduli says operational challenges faced by schools pose a threat to the delivery of quality education to pupils.

Mr. Sikaduli toured three different schools in Kalomo over the weekend to better understand the challenges they face.

He was informed that most schools have inadequate classrooms alongside receiving erratic grants and experience short supply of water in most township learning institutions.

Kalomo secondary boarding school head teacher, Rex Nalubamba appealed for the completion of the school wall to prevent constant break ins by thieves to the pupils’ dormitories. Mwaata day secondary school called for the completions of a 200 bed capacity girls’ dormitory which has taken years to finish due to lack of sponsors, putting girl learners renting in the nearby compounds at risk for sexual abuse.

Mukwela youth skills training centre of Kalomo also brought to the commissioner’s attention the ongoing argument between the institution and the local community over land ownership.

The training institution offering skills to the youth says its parent ministry is geared to put up a fully-fledged institute, but the persistent land debates has hampered its progression. The centre offers general agriculture, food production, metal fabrication, power electrical, tailoring, bricklaying and carpentry and auto mechanics.

However, the institution has no transport forcing the centre to transport its production unit produce in ox carts for sale to town.

“Imagine, we have no transport, we take our produce in ox carts for sale to raise money to cater for our auxiliary staff who are not on government payroll and to sustain the operations of the centre,” centre director, Sylvester Singani told the Kalomo district commissioner during his tour of the institution.