Chibombo DC bemoans low education performance in the district

Chibombo DC bemoans low education performance in  the district

Chibombo, September 22, 2014 ZANIS—Chibombo District Commissioner Felix Mang’wato says the performance of the education sector in the district remains below the minimum level.

Mr Mang’wato said there is need for education authorities in the district to involve all key stakeholders in the implementation of the District Education Strategic Plan to improve the education performance.

The DC said this when he officiated at the double launch of the 2013 – 2015 District Education Strategic Plan and Let’s Read Zambia Mobilisation Campaign held at Mwayasunka Primary School in Chibombo District.

And Mr Mang’wato said the strategic plan is in line with government’s revised school curriculum which focuses on the use of local languages as a medium of instruction in schools for learners in the lower grades.

He said the use of familiar languages in schools from Grade one to four can help children learn to read most effectively because they are able to easily relate concepts to their immediate environment.

He said children’s ability to read competently in their early grades has a positive impact on the learners’ academic excellence even as they proceed to higher grades in education.

Mr Mang’wato said a number of studies have confirmed that children’s learning is impaired if the language of instruction is unfamiliar.

He therefore appealed to all parents and other key stakeholders to get involved in the education of the children especially in the area of reading.

He said the significance of reading in any society cannot be over emphasized as it is fundamental to academic, social and economic progression of a nation.

Mr Mang’wato said a nation whose people cannot read and write cannot develop because development depends on the transfer of knowledge through reading.

And Chibombo District Education Board Secretary Maybin Luulu said the strategic plan will seek to address challenges such as learners’ performance, absenteeism and early marriages in the district.

ENDS/