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Buy school furniture locally – Mabumba

Written by Millennium on June 8, 2019

GLORIA KANGWA writes

@SunZambian

MINISTRY of General Education David Mabumba has urged Education institutions in North-Western Province to consider buying school furniture in their areas to save costs.

Speaking during a courtesy call on the provincial minister, Nathaniel Mubukwanu, while touring education institutions, Mr Mabumba said the sector needed to find ways to achieve quality.

He said if schools considered using trade schools in their areas it would help enhance the quality of products and render financial help to the trade schools.

“Furniture should be made by our technical schools if we are to avoid the costs of procuring it from Lusaka. Solwezi Trades School will be one of the schools that will begin to make furniture and in turn a good value chain will be made,” Mr Mabumba said.

He said on his tour to other districts he had very good interactions with pupils and teachers who told him the various challenges they were facing.

Mr Mabumba said he was aware that some schools did not have water, power connections, furniture and laboratories.

Over eight schools needed completion and would be attended to first.

“I am aware that schools don’t have furniture, but we have about 10 schools here that need completion, and I don’t want all to be in the state Kanyama School in Mwinilunga district is in,” he said.

Mr Mubukwanu said it was encouraging that Mr Mabumba had visited the province and had information on the ground.

The numbers of school-going children was increasing and the current infrastructure would not contain them all.

Mr Mubukwanu said he would engage members of Parliament (MPs) in the district to discuss development in the education sector.

“What the ministry is doing is extremely essential. I hope parents and other stakeholders come on board and not only wait for everything to be rendered to them,” he said.