Airtel committed to improving education standards

Airtel-Zambia has reiterated its commitment to assisting government in providing quality education to citizens in the country.

Airtel-Zonal Business Manager in Mongu Ernest Mulenga said his company attaches great importance to improving education which will consequently uplift the living standards of people in communities.

Mr. Mulenga therefore said Airtel has put up many initiatives aimed at improving the standards of education in Zambia.

He said the mobile phone service provider was planning to adopt a number of schools and upgrade them to modern standards especially in places where Airtel has not yet done so.

He said Airtel was focusing at Southern and Muchinga provinces to upgrade schools.

Speaking to ZANIS in an interview, Mr. Mulenga said this programme of upgrading schools will prove that the company was a partner that was helping the needy people in communities.

Mr. Mulenga said Airtel will continue to identify the needs of people in rural areas and focus on empowering them.

Last week, Airtel-Zambia donated two computers to Lukalanya high school in Mongu district and commissioned a one by two classroom block at valued at over KR240, 000.

He said the mobile phone network company said more than 450 schools in Zambia have benefitted from its donations which are aimed at improving the teaching and learning environments in learning institutions in rural areas.

Meanwhile, government has pledged to improve infrastructure of rural schools in its bid to provide quality education for the majority of Zambians.

Senior Education Standards Officer (SESO) in Mongu District of Western province Ilitombi Lisimba said government was in a hurry to put up good infrastructure in schools to improve the learning standards.

Ms. Lisimba said in the past, government had paid a lot of attention to building new schools.

She said government was now keen to upgrade infrastructure in existing schools whose standards have since deteriorated.

She revealed that plans were now underway to set up modern facilities such as laboratories and libraries to secure education for people in rural areas.

Ms. Lisimba stated that her office had already put a programme in place for infrastructure development initiative adding that it was just waiting for funding from the ministry to commence work.

She revealed that government was also looking towards getting more teachers to work in rural areas especially at Lukalanya high school which currently has 218 pupils against 11 teachers.

She further said the school has a shortfall of teachers especially in key subjects such as mathematics and science where only one science teacher caters for the whole school.

Ms. Lisimba said government has since put in place several incentives to compel teachers to work in rural schools.

She expressed hope that once the recruitment exercise was completed, more teachers will choose to work in rural schools.