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| Lonely Magreta: Ministry is constructing Boarding secondary |
The Ministry of Education Science and Technology has assured people of Machinga district that they will soon have a boarding Secondary School.
People in Machinga district especially young people are demanding construction of a boarding secondary school as the district is currently the only district without boarding secondary school since Balaka which was part of Machinga was declared a district, making Balaka boarding Secondary School inaccessible to pupils from Machinga.
At the moment, pupils from Machinga who access to boarding schools are only top students selected to competitive National Government Secondary Schools like students from all other districts, however, mid-level students from the district are selected to Community District Secondary Schools and Community Day Secondary Schools unlike in other districts where mid-level students go to boarding District Secondary Schools and only third tier students go to Community Secondary Schools.
Speaking to the Parliamentary Committee of Education over the week, Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Education, Lonely Magreta assured that the project for the construction of district boarding Secondary School is underway in Machinga.
However, she admitted that financial challenges in terms of allocation of funds for the project are not adequate and therefore this is causing delays to complete the project in good time.
“The delays are not necessarily for Machinga district only” she added, “Projects in other districts are facing similar problem in terms of allocation, resources are not adequate to complete the projects but we hope that more resources will be provided in the coming budgets.”
Magreta explained in an interview that construction for Boarding Secondary School in Machinga is being done in phases. She said at the moment they are constructing teaching area, staff houses and multipurpose hall.
“And then as we continue the next financial year and possibly the other financial year, we will go to the next phase where we will start constructing the boarding facilities.” assured Magreta
“The policy of the Ministry of Education is that each and every district is provided for in terms of various categories of secondary schools to reduce the distance being covered by the students to where they have to commute but also to ensure that there is increased equitable access to secondary education by the students in each and every district” said Magreta
The project for the construction of Machinga District Secondary School began in 2014 At Chabwera village in T/A Sitola in Liwonde.
People in Machinga have been complaining of the progress of the project and lack of information if indeed the project is a boarding secondary school or just a Community day secondary school.
One of the youth groups leading the campaign for the construction of the Secondary School in the district is a group of students from the University of Malawi called ‘University Students Association of Machinga’ (USAM) which has described the situation as "Injustice" to people of Machinga.
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| Jonas |
Jonas Matope, President for the USAM said absence of district secondary school is causing numerous problems among students in the district.
“Our issue is that we want to have a boarding Secondary School in Machinga as is the case with other districts in Malawi.” He said
“It is a known fact that the quality of education in community day secondary schools is very low.” said Matope “ this selection of the second tier group of students in Machinga into community Day Secondary Schools affects their ability to compete for college places."
He added that lack of boarding school is not only subjecting alot of students in the district to walk long distances every day to reach their community day secondary schools, but also increasing school dropouts among girls who in most cases get pregnant when they leave home to do 'self boarding' in communities nearby their schools.
Matope said the concerned youths in the district are suggesting to government that due to delays in the construction of Machinga Boarding Secondary School and looking at challenges students are facing, it is better that Government should consider turning Machinga Teachers Trainig College (TTC) into Boarding Secondary School for the district until such a time the project of constructing a fully functional boarding school is completed.
“We would like to have Machinga TTC be used as Secondary School while we wait for the completion of the said Secondary School that Government intends to construct.” concludes Matope who vowed that his group is set to persue with their stad if there will be no progress in the construction of the boarding school.
