By George Mponda

Karonga, May 2, Mana: Bishop Martin Anwel Mtumbuka of the Karonga Diocese has announced that proceeds from the newly launched St Denis Primary School will be utilized to rehabilitate rural primary schools.

The school, located at Karonga Boma, has been constructed with funds from Steven Peck through the Cross Catholic Outreach and it is offering classes from Standards One to Six.

Speaking at the launch on Thursday, Bishop Mtumbuka said the school will be operating on a business model and profits made will be used to improve schools located in rural areas.

Mtumbuka said: "This particular private school will help give very good primary education holistically. In other words, the parents who send their kids here pay a little bit more money, and we will use that money to improve the schools in rural areas.

"The philosophy of education in the Catholic Church is that you can't have proper functions in a church full of members who have not gone far with education. It can't work, especially in today's world where you want most of the things run by the church to be done by the Christians themselves; which is why we want to educate learners from all over the diocese despite their denomination," he added.

According to Mtumbuka, the school's staff will have the autonomy to make decisions, subject to approval by the school's board, as part of a self-sustaining management approach.

On her part, Director of Education Services for Karonga District Council, Mercy Mayuni, commended Karonga Diocese for opening the school, saying it has complemented government's efforts in delivering quality education.

"This resonates with enabler number five of the Malawi 2063 which stresses development of human capital. In order for our country to be self-reliant, we need to educate learners from all corners of the country," said Mayuni.

Headteacher for St Denis Catholic Primary School, Eunice Ndhlovu, promised to nurture learners' spiritual growth and help them become productive citizens who will contribute positively to Malawi's development.

During the launch of the school, Bishop Mtumbuka also commissioned two priests who will be heading to South Africa to launch the Ad Gentes Missionaries of St. John Paul II.