Dilapidation results in school closer

—- Pupils at Kelongwe Basic School have stopped attending classes due the school structure being declared unfit for human occupancy.

Kelongwa Basic School which is situated 68 kilometers East of Kasempa district was on 11^TH February 2013 declared a public nuisance following an environmental inspection conducted by the Ministry of Health in accordance with the public health Act cap 295 of the laws of Zambia.

The report which has been submitted to the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) states that the school’s structure posed a threat to the safety of pupils and has since been closed.

And Kasempa District Education Board Secretary Evans Kamwana said the institution managed to source for an occupied buildings such as churches and the local court in order to allow the pupils to continue learning.

Mr Kamwana also said reports have already been submitted to all sectors to help with tents and potable boards for effective learning.

He noted that the situation is a crisis and only hoped that action would be availed on time to avoid disturbing pupils in examining classes.

Meanwhile the report recommends for a full rehabilitation of the schools’ infrastructure which since 1964 has not been rehabilitated.

The reports further highlights that the school infrastructure has defects caused by termites leaving the roof very lose and on the verge of collapsing.

The report also indicated that the effects of termite attacks have spread further to the schools foundation and structural walls which has caused major cracks thereby becoming traps to human life.