450 Pupils Sit on sacks as CDF desk delay persists in Katete

Over 450 pupils at Chipepe Primary School in Katete District, in Chief Mbang’ombe’s area, are sitting on sacks due to delays in the disbursement of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), which the government had promised would be used to procure desks for the school.

In an interview with Lusaka Star, reporter Whiteson Mbao reports that the School Acting Head Teacher, Andrew Chokani said pupils have been using sacks as mats to sit on during lessons for many years due to a lack of desks.

“The school has been applying for CDF support, but since we started, nothing has been done so far,” Mr Chokani said.

Mr Chokani further disclosed that, in addition to the shortage of desks, the school lacks English textbooks and staff housing, which has resulted in poor learning outcomes and challenging working conditions for teachers.

He revealed that none of the teachers at the school, including the head teacher, live in government-provided housing.

“In remote areas like this one, we are often the only source of motivation for learners. Unfortunately, teachers here sleep in dilapidated houses built by villagers themselves and rented out to us,” Mr Chokani said.

He also expressed concern over the absence of a rural hardship allowance for teachers working at the school.“Teachers at this school are not given rural hardship allowances, and if this continues, many might leave,” he said.

Some traditional leaders have also expressed concern over the working conditions at Chipepe Primary, saying that teachers live like ordinary villagers and sometimes rely on the local community for basic needs.

Million Banda, the village headman of the area where the school is located, said teachers are working under extremely difficult conditions.

“It is the community that built this school, and it is shameful to see teachers who should be role models for learners living in the most dilapidated houses in the village,” he said.

Mr Banda called on government to prioritize the school in the 2025 CDF, noting that it has been overlooked for many years.

Since 2021, when the United Party for National Development (UPND) came into power, many schools across the country have received desks funded through the CDF.

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