By Salome Gangire

Neno, March 25, Mana: Chief Education Officer for Neno, Sonnex Likharuwe, has challenged teachers in the district to improve the pass rate in national examinations to put Neno among top five performing districts at national level.

He was speaking over the weekend at the community hall during the 2023 Neno Best Teachers Awards Day held under the theme “Promoting quality education”.

He said with teamwork, cordial relationship between school authorities, communities and school structures, it is possible to produce best results and be among the top five.

“We have the human resource here and schools which did not achieve a 100 percent pass rate should learn from their colleagues who performed well,” Likharuwe added.

He said Neno was improving in its national examinations performance as it scoped 83.4 percent in last year’s Primary School Leaving Certificates of education (PSLCE) examinations.

Likharuwe said it was pleasing that 17 schools scooped 100 percent pass rate which is very commendable.

He, therefore, reminded teachers of adherence to the teacher’s code of conduct by not abusing a girl child saying the penalty is dismal.

District Commissioner for Neno, Rosemary Nawasha, thanked teachers and head teachers whose schools performed well in last year’s examinations.

She said development without education is nothing as such it starts with a teacher hence the need for teachers to dedicate themselves to their job.

“As a district council, we are also measured by how we are doing our service delivery one of which is education. Your performance has given Neno a mark at national level because this shows that the district is improving its education service delivery,” Nawasha said.

She told the teachers that the rewards they received were a token of appreciation to motivate them for the sacrifice they do as some work in hard to reach areas.

Nawasha, therefore, thanked Electricity Generation Company (EGENCO), World Vision and Member of Parliament for Neno North, Thoko Tembo, for contributing towards the event.

EGENCO Senior Human Resources Officer, Gift Phulanya Ulanda, said as an education partner, they recognise the invaluable contribution that teachers play in shaping the minds and futures of the nation’s youths.

“Teachers play a pivotal role in nurturing creativity and instilling knowledge in the minds of students,” Ulanda said.

Teachers whose students got as were rewarded with K50,000 cash, best performing schools who scooped 100 percent pass rate were awarded with K100,000, and best Primary Education Advisors were awarded with K100,000.