By Wellington Sibale

Neno, October 24, Mana: Government has reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing the quality of education in Neno district by addressing educational challenges, particularly in hard-to-reach areas.

Deputy Minister of Education, Nancy Chaola Mdooko, made the remarks Wednesday, after touring a number of primary and secondary schools in the remote areas in the district, assessing the conditions under which students and teachers operate.

During the visit, Mdooko, expressed concern over the long distances learners travel to access education which affects their overall performance.

"The purpose of this tour was to motivate teachers working in hard-to-reach areas and to understand the challenges they face. As a ministry, we have noted the difficulties experienced by both learners and teachers and we are committed to addressing them," Mdooko said.

She emphasized that government aims at increasing the number of teachers in Neno to achieve a better student-teacher ratio.

However, Mdooko bemoaned the low attendance of girls in schools and stressed the need for programmes that encourage girls to pursue education.

Neno District Council's Director of Education and Sports, Foster Magombo, acknowledged that while educational performance in the district is improving, several challenges continue to hinder progress.

"One of the major setbacks is the lack of running motorbikes for Primary Education Advisors (PEAs), who are tasked with supervising teachers. Without motorbikes, our PEAs cannot effectively monitor the schools, contributing to poor performance at the national level," Magombo said.

Magombo pointed out that many students travel long distances to reach school which affects their focus and energy levels in class.

Mdooko also toured ICT laboratories in the district, which, according to Magombo were vital to improving education standards.

"In today’s digital world, access to ICT labs allows students to explore beyond their immediate environment. It brings them closer to information and new learning opportunities," Magombo added.

Moses Beyard, a student at Ligowe Community Day Secondary School (CDSS), said some of the issues facing his school including a shortage of classrooms and a lack of laboratory chemicals and apparatus.

However, he acknowledged the positive impact of the school’s ICT lab, which helps students better understand what they are taught.

The minister visited Chifunga CDSS, Domwe CDSS and primary school, Ligowe CDSS and primary school, Neno Mission CDSS and Chilimbondo Primary School.