Community members in Senior Chief Ngabu in Chikwawa District have appealed to well-wishers to support Nachipere Primary School with desks.

Speaking on Monday when a local charity Friends of Khisimisi and Binya donated 40 school uniforms and writing materials to needy learners at the school, group village head Khisimisi said the school has no desk since it opened 20 years ago.

“Learners in all classes sit on the floor, which makes it difficult for girls to participate in lessons. We need desks to motivate learners to work hard,” he said.

Standard Eight pupils captured sitting on the floor during class

The school’s mother group chairperson Felia Mzondo said desks are crucial as they are used during national examinations.

“During national examinations, schools without desks are forced to hire some at a cost for their candidates. That is why we need our own desks at the school,” she said.

The school’s head teacher George Zwangeti attributed school dropout to poverty and lack of desks at the school.

He also asked well-wishers to help with desks to motivate learners to remain in school.

In response, Friends of Khisimisi and Binya chairperson the Reverend Pastor Paul Muotcha described the situation as worrisome and appealed to other well-wishers to assist the school.

In a separate interview, Nsenjere Education Zone primary education adviser Susan Shaba said her office is aware of the situation at the school.

She said her office had initially prioritised desk distribution in primary schools that are cluster centres for examinations.

However, Shaba said her office in collaboration with the District Education Office has started distributing desks in the zone and Nachipere stands to benefit from the same.

Deputy Minister of Education Monica Chang’anamuno is on record for having said that most primary schools in the country do not have enough desks.

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