By George Mponda

Karonga, January 10, Mana: Karonga Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) is seeking assistance to construct a hall, fence, and provide desks, as the lack of these essential facilities is hindering its ability to provide quality education to its students.

Headteacher Howard Kumwenda told Malawi News Agency on Friday that the school which was established in 1960 is an examination centre but they have to book a hall somewhere else which is costly.

He said during examinations, they spend over K500,000 to book a hall elsewhere and the students have to carry desks on their heads to the venue since the school does not have money to hire a vehicle.

“Together with the community we have managed to raise some funds which we have started constructing a hall estimated to cost K140 million and currently we are at floor level.

“Our school is located right in the middle of Karonga Town and we receive a lot of students who want to enrol so we have been tirelessly advocating for support from local authorities, organizations, and well-wishers,” Kumwenda said.

He said, with the right resources, the school can provide a conducive learning environment for its students as evidenced by its 64 per cent pass rate in last year's Malawi School Certificate of Education results.

Board Chairperson for Karonga CDSS Komani Mzembe said another pressing issue facing the school is the shortage of desks.

"Students are forced to sit on the floor or share desks, making it difficult for them to focus on their studies. The school has over 1500 students but we have few desks available. It's heartbreaking to see our students struggling to learn due to lack of basic facilities," said Mzembe.

"In addition to desks, the school urgently needs two additional school blocks. The current blocks are few with the number of students we have to the point that a teacher barely has space to walk around in the classrooms which is not ideal for teaching," he said.

He said another critical issue facing the school is the lack of a secure fence, saying the school's perimeter is not fenced, making it vulnerable to intruders and roaming cattle.

“This has led to concerns about the students' safety and security. We need a secure fence to protect our students and prevent unauthorized access to the school," Mzembe stressed.

On his part,

 Karonga CDSS Students Union President, Vincent Kumwenda said they urgently need assistance to address these pressing issues.

"We are appealing to anyone who can help us to come forward and support our school to ensure that we as students receive the quality education we deserve," Kumwenda pleaded.

The school's management committee estimates that it needs approximately K98 million to finish constructing the hall.