Chief Mphuka urges subjects to take their children to school

Chief Mphuka urges subjects to take their children to school

Luangwa/ Jan 14/14/ ZANIS ——-Chief Mphuka of the Chikunda people of Luangwa district has implored his subjects to create a culture of educating their children, saying it is the only way out of poverty.

And some parents in Luangwa have called on the Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education to regulate school fees if the poor of the poorest are to benefit from Government’s policy of education for all.

Speaking during the first Parent Teachers Association (PTA) meeting for the newly-opened Feira Day Secondary School over the weekend, Chief Mphuka called on his subjects to take advantage of Government’s policy on education.

Chief Mphuka commended the PF Government for introducing free education at primary school level and urged parents to take advantage and take their children to school.

He said education is the only way out of poverty as it would reduce high levels of illiteracy in the district which has contributed to poverty in most households.

Chief Mphuka warned his subjects that he would not condone any parent, especially those that encourage early marriages, who would deny his or her child education.

He said that it was sad that some parents were in the forefront of encouraging early marriages instead of taking their children to school.

Chief Mphuka lamented that early marriages were frustrating government’s efforts of reducing poverty as they were a source of poverty.

And parents whose children qualified to the newly opened Feira Day Secondary School have called on the Ministry of Education to regulate school fees if education is to be accessible to all.

Geoffrey Mumba, a parent whose girl child qualified to Grade Eight at the new learning institution, lamented that school fees being proposed by some parents were just too high for other parents especially those that do not have a stable income like salary.

Speaking at the same PTA meeting, Mr Mumba cautioned fellow parents to be careful when coming up with school fees as these may defeat Government’s policy of education for all.

He said the K620 per term proposed by some parents was not affordable by all especially those in villages who have failed to pay the K800 being paid in boarding schools and thought that the opening of the day secondary was going to be a relief to them.

Mr Mumba appealed to Government to intervene in school fees in rural schools especially in Luangwa district where school fees have become like an income generating venture for school administrations as parents were being made to pay fees that are beyond reach for majority of them.

Another parent, Lackson Phiri said the newly opened Feira Day Secondary School was believed to have come as a relief to parents who were failing to pay boarding fees at Luangwa, Katondwe Girls and Mwavi Secondary Schools whose boarding fees range from K800 to K1, 500 per term which made some parents fail to send their children to these institutions.

Mr Phiri added that high school fees would defeat the purpose of poverty alleviation through education as most vulnerable parents would fail to take their children to school.